Owen Hart’s “Dark Side of the Ring” episode pinned down 626,000 total viewers, counting three days of DVR viewing, with 390,000 of that total coming from the key adults 18-49 demographic. Both are new ratings records for a Vice TV telecast, according to Nielsen.
Guess what the previous record-holder was? Yeah, the prior week’s “Dark Side of the Ring.”
By this point in the story, you’ve probably figured out that “Dark Side” is Vice’s most successful series in its relatively young history, and that Season 2 has outperformed Season 1.
Vice TV dates back to Aug. 29, 2016.
The Season 2 finale’s overall audience tally topped the penultimate Season 2 episode by +15% in the demo and +12% in total viewers, which include anyone 2-years-old and older.
Across the entire season, the pro-wrestling show’s second run rose +73% in the demo and +52% overall from its Season 1 averages.
“We are absolutely ecstatic with the success of ‘Dark Side of the Ring.’ Audiences respond to our courageous compelling storytelling, and this series has proven to be heavyweight in the television landscape,” Morgan Hertzan, executive vice president and general manager of Vice Television, said on Thursday.
“I am very proud to partner with the incredible creatives at Vice Studios, and tag team executive producers Evan Husney and Jason Eisener who have so skillfully crafted this show. It is in every way the no holds barred type of programming that you can expect to see on Vice TV. Looking forward to the next KO!”
“The Final Days of Owen Hart” premiered May 19 on Vice.
Other Season 2 topics included: Chris Benoit’s double murder-suicide that shocked the world; the murder of Dino Bravo; the controversial “Brawl for All” tournament that led to career-ending injuries; the feared career of New Jack; David Schultz’s violent run-in with a “20/20” reporter; the death of Nancy Argentino, Jimmy Snuka’s girlfriend; the inside story of wrestling’s ultimate tag-team partnership Hawk and Animal; and Herb Abrams’ fanatical attempt to build a wrestling empire.