There is mounting evidence to suggest that Cody Rhodes is having a significant impact on WWE.
According to Brandon Thurston of Wrestlenomics, segments involving “The American Nightmare” have consistently been the most-watched quarters of “WWE RAW” on the USA Network. For instance, his in-ring segment with Sami Zayn on a recent episode was viewed by over 2,080,000 viewers and notched up a 0.53 rating in the 18-49 key demo, while his critically-acclaimed promo exchange with Paul Heyman on February 6 was watched by 2,027,000 viewers at the top of the third hour, a time when viewership is traditionally lost. In fact, this segment did so well in the ratings that the audience reportedly grew 11% from the previous quarter.
Rhodes’ segments have also been popular on YouTube, with only videos featuring Roman Reigns and/or Zayn receiving comparable views. Furthermore, Rhodes has been a genuine draw at WWE’s house shows, with ticket sales for several events reportedly increasing significantly after his Royal Rumble win. In fact, he is being advertised as the top attraction at the upcoming Madison Square Garden live event.
Since returning to the ring at the Royal Rumble pay-per-view event, Rhodes has reportedly been among WWE’s top merchandise sellers. He is also the favorite to defeat “The Tribal Chief” Roman Reigns and become the new Undisputed WWE Universal Champion at WrestleMania 39. Many fans on social media believe that this victory could establish Rhodes as the new face of the promotion.
