This past Tuesday, December 8, night’s edition of IMPACT! on AXS TV shattered IMPACT Wrestling viewing records across digital platforms and trended No.1 on Twitter. More than 750,000 fans tuned in to AXS TV or have logged on to official streams to witness the historic, industry-shaking episode.
Reigning All Elite Wrestling World Champion Kenny Omega joined IMPACT Wrestling Executive Don Callis in breaking their silence following last week’s stunning events. AEW owner Tony Khan, flanked by AEW commentator Tony Schiavone, also appeared on IMPACT Wrestling’s flagship show in a sponsored segment. “The intrigue of what Kenny Omega and Don Callis were going to do on IMPACT! on AXS TV powered a huge night for us,” IMPACT’s Executive Vice President Scott D’Amore said.
According to Nielsen TV ratings, 244,342 tuned into the 8 pm ET and 11 pm ET repeat. The usual 8 pm ET live-stream on Twitch peaked at 55,396, with an average of 42,953 viewers for the two-hour show’s duration. IMPACT! was the fourth largest Twitch stream of the day. The live NFL game – which went head to head with IMPACT! – peaked at just over 30,000. Special encore presentations on IMPACT Wrestling’s Facebook and YouTube pages added 68,918 and 268,414 viewers respectively to the television audience. The show trended in the Top 15 on YouTube and IMPACT Plus recorded record peak concurrent views.
In addition, the segment of Josh Mathews interviewing Callis and Omega already has over 197,242 views on Facebook and over 342,00 views on YouTube. On Instagram, the segment currently has 146,000 views and 219,000 views on Twitter.
D’Amore said: “It is hard to compare apples and oranges, and some digital media provide better watch-data than others, but we feel confident over 750,000 US-based fans watched the episode in the first 24 hours and 1 million fans have clicked on the various highlights we’ve put out on social media.” He added: “It was a huge night for us. For me, the best takeaway is that fans who may not have seen IMPACT Wrestling before, or perhaps haven’t checked us out for a while, they all got to see what IMPACT is all about.
“They saw the depth of talent in the KNOCKOUTS division, the rekindling of the red hot Sami Callihan vs Eddie Edwards rivalry and a great main event featuring Rich Swann, Willie Mack, Chris Bey and Moose.” Asked whether Omega would make his way to IMPACT next week, D’Amore said: “Don Callis alluded to this being years in the making; paradigm’s don’t shift in one night. See you on Tuesday.”
BREAKING: We have confirmed that @AEW World Champion @KennyOmegamanX and @TheDonCallis will return to IMPACT THIS TUESDAY at 8/7c on @AXSTV! #IMPACTonAXSTV pic.twitter.com/EaNFEY0Olo
— IMPACT (@IMPACTWRESTLING) December 11, 2020
IMPACT Wrestling is airing on Tuesday at 8/7c on AXS TV and Twitch in the USA. The show is available to view in the UK from 2 am Wednesdays on the IMPACT Plus app and airs on FreeSports at 10 PM every Wednesday and 5STAR on Fridays in the late evening (please check local listings weekly).
Don’t miss ‘Final Resolution‘ iPPV this Saturday at 8 PM ET (1 AM GMT) on IMPACT Plus, Fite TV. In the UK, it will air on Premier Sports in the UK on Tuesday, December 15 at 11 PM GMT.
Pics courtesy of Impact Wrestling