WWE is having a banner week, with NXT stealing the spotlight following the success of Raw's Netflix debut, thanks in large part to Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson.
FULL PROMO: The Rock comes to NXT to vibe. Cooks the internet for being mad at him showing love to Cody, and tells everyone to play it out.
Enjoy The Ride that The Rock is taking you on 🤫🤫#WWENxt pic.twitter.com/DV2m7bwapU
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On January 7, NXT's New Year's Evil special shattered viewership records, drawing an impressive 957,000 total viewers, marking its highest ratings since September 2019.
The event, which aired on The CW and Netflix internationally, saw a 53% increase from the previous week's 626,000 viewers, and a major spike in the key 18-49 demographic, with 341,000 tuning in. This surge helped NXT rank eighth across all networks during primetime, according to Nielsen data (per Variety).
The New Year's Evil special featured several major moments, including Oba Femi capturing the NXT Championship by defeating Trick Williams and Eddy Thorpe in a Triple Threat match, and Giulia dethroning Roxanne Perez for the NXT Women's Championship. Stephanie Vaquer also emerged victorious in a Fatal Four-Way for the NXT Women's North American Championship.
However, the real story behind NXT's record-breaking viewership was the appearance of Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson.
His presence, following Raw's Netflix premiere, added a star-studded touch to the event, even if his promo wasn't entirely smooth. The Rock's backstage banter with Ethan Page and a high-energy live segment with the crowd drew significant attention.
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The People's Champ also addressed critics who questioned his friendly demeanor with Cody Rhodes during Raw earlier in the week, telling them to "shut their mouth and enjoy the ride."
NXT, initially launched as a reality-based competition to find WWE's next star, has evolved significantly since its inception.
Originally a developmental territory to groom emerging talent, NXT became a standalone brand in 2012, replacing Florida Championship Wrestling (FCW) and quickly gaining recognition for its intense in-ring action and compelling storylines.
Under the guidance of WWE Hall of Famer Shawn Michaels and Chief Creative Officer Paul "Triple H" Levesque, NXT grew into a platform where both young stars and seasoned veterans could showcase their talents.
The brand gained significant praise for its focus on high-quality matches and a more serious approach to women's wrestling, which contributed to the broader WWE Women's Evolution.
In 2019, NXT expanded to a two-hour weekly show on USA Network, entering the "Wednesday Night Wars" against AEW's Dynamite. After a shift to Tuesday nights in 2021 and a brief rebranding as "NXT 2.0," the brand returned to its original name
The Rock's influence helped NXT break its five-year viewership record, further solidifying the company's current momentum. As always...the Rock is cooking.
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