With AEW WrestleDream 2026 in the rearview mirror, All Elite Wrestling stars headed to Coral Gables, Florida October 21 episode of “AEW Dynamite”. Ilya Dragunov had a successful ring debut against “Speedball” Mike Bailey. Mark Davies and Jake Doyle earned their shot at the AEW World Tag Team Championship, and Queen Aminata She also got a shot at Persephone’s AEW TBS Championship, defeating the returning Maya World.
Despite all that action, it ended up being a mixed bag in the TV ratings department. By: WrestlenomicsThe Oct. 21 episode of “Dynamite” averaged 661,000 viewers, down 8 percent from 715,000 viewers in the first two hours of the three-hour program. average aired on October 14. The show was also down 12% from its four-week average of 752,000 viewers, though its October 2026 and Q3 2026 averages were up 42% and 39%, respectively, from the same periods last year. As always with AEW shows, none of these numbers affect those who stream the show live on HBO MAX.
There was some positive news for AEW in the key demographic. Last week’s “Dynamite” posted a 0.15, up 7% from the 0.14 it posted seven days ago, and brings the show back to its four-week average of 0.15. The average for October 2026 and Q3 2026 is also currently at 0.15, up 67% from the same periods last year. As for “Dynamite,” only the NBA on ESPN and the WNBA playoffs on the USA Network ranked higher in the 18-49 demo. According to Dave Meltzer, the show also posted a 0.23 in the 25-54 demographic, which also beat the NBA and WNBA games, though he noted that the main event between Dragunov and Bailey, which took place after 10:00 p.m., ranked second behind the NBA in that hour.