Here's How NXT Performed in the Ratings Without Competition From AEW Dynamite

NXT ran unopposed on cable on Wednesday night for the first time since Christmas Day 2019, and based on the ratings report the Black and Gold Brand was able to capitalize on not having competition from AEW Dynamite. The young promotion was booted off its normal schedule due to the NBA Playoffs and won't take place until Saturday night. According to ShowBuzzDaily, NXT brought in 853,000 viewers and a 0.24 rating in the target demographic. That's the highest viewership they've had since Nov. 20 and is the first time they've cracked 800,000 since the aforementioned Christmas episode. As for the rating, it's the best number they've done in that demographic since Feb. 12 and is the second time they've broken .20 this month.

The show featured two NXT North American Championship qualifying matches in Johnny Gargano vs. Ridge Holland and Velveteen Dream vs. Finn Balor as well as a face-to-face confrontation between Adam Cole and Pat McAfee. NXT's latest TakeOver event, NXT TakeOver: XXX, will take place this Saturday at Full Sail Live.

Check out the show's card below:

• NXT Championship: Keith Lee vs. Karrion Kross
• NXT Women's Championship: Io Shirai vs. Dakota Kai
• NXT North American Championship: Cameron Grimes vs. Damien Priest vs. Bronson Reed vs. Finn Balor/Velveteen Dream vs. Johnny Gargano/Ridge Holland
• Adam Cole vs. Pat McAfee
• Finn Balor vs. Timothy Thatcher
• NXT Tag Team Championship No. 1 Contender: Breezango vs. Legado Del Fantasma vs. Oney Lorcan and Danny Burch

During a media conference call on Wednesday afternoon, Triple addressed why NXT wasn't moving to the ThunderDome at the Amway Center in downtown Orlando like the rest of WWE's programming.

"Right now, with trying to move SmackDown, SummerSlam, Raw for the foreseeable future and all the undertaking that is happening there, I'm very happy to be staying. As spectacular... as that's going to be, I feel they have enough on their hands right now. Our partnership with Full Sail is, to me, probably one of the most important partnerships we have, and I love it there. Right now we're there."

Here's what AEW has lined up for their special Saturday edition of Dynamite:

• AEW TNT Championship: Cody Rhodes vs. Brodie Lee
• The Elite (Kenny Omega and The Young Bucks) vs. The Dark Order (Five, Alex Reynolds, John Silver)
• The Lucha Bros. and The Butcher & The Blade vs. The Natural Nightmares and Jurassic Express
• Women's Tag Team Cup Tournament Final: The Nightmare Sisters vs. Ivelisse and Diamante
• FTR vs. Private Party
• Darby Allin vs. TBD
• Orange Cassidy promo