WWE aired the first hour of the 2026 Backlash Premium Live Event (PLE) on ESPN. According to a report from WrestleNomics, this initial hour scored a 0.33 rating in the key 18-49 demographic, drawing 998,000 viewers.
These figures represent a 49.2% decline in rating and a 45.2% decline in viewership compared to WrestleMania 42’s second night, which garnered a 0.65 rating in the same demographic and a total audience of 1.82 million viewers.
The first night of WrestleMania 42 recorded a rating of 0.62 and 1.62 million viewers. Given that WrestleMania is significantly more hyped and considered a bigger PLE, it was anticipated that Backlash would generate lower numbers. The top show on Saturday was the NBA Playoffs on ABC, which, while not competing directly with Backlash’s first hour, drew a 1.69 rating in the key 18-49 demographic and an audience of 5.856 million viewers.
The opening hour of Backlash featured Trick Williams defending the WWE United States Championship against Sami Zayn and Seth Rollins facing Bron Breakker in a singles match.
