This week, WWE NXT launched on The CW with a stacked two-hour show that saw top names from the silver brand as well as WWE’s main roster. With title matches and appearances by Hall of Famers, there was plenty to see in Chicago’s All-State Arena, and NXT on The CW is off to a strong start in the ratings.

WWE NXT’s debut episode on The CW drew 895,000 viewers, Wrestlenomics reports, way up on the previous episode’s 620,000 on the USA Network. This week’s number is the fifth-highest number for WWE NXT since its move to cable television back in September 2019. The last time WWE NXT did better was the October 10, 2023, episode, which did 921,000 viewers and saw the show go head-to-head with AEW Dynamite.

The launch of WWE NXT was a ratings hit despite fierce competition from the U.S. Vice Presidential debate that aired the same night. The debate between Democrat Tim Walz and Republican JD Vance scored 43.15 million viewers across 15 networks, according to The Hollywood Reporter, with 40.25 million coming from CNN, FOX News, and MNSBC.)

The launch of WWE NXT on The CW was a historic night for the revamped silver brand of WWE. Check out some of the exciting moments from this week’s show in Chicago below.