WWE’s weekly television ratings in the United States are often a conversation topic amongst fans.
On the day that this article is being written (June 28, 2020), the latest episodes of each show averaged the following rating: RAW (1.92m viewers), SmackDown (2.17m viewers), NXT (786k viewers).
National television numbers are still a big deal in 2020, but WWE’s growing number of fans on YouTube and social media platforms is also very impressive.
Excluding YouTube’s movies, music, gaming and sports sections, WWE’s channel is the sixth most-subscribed channel in the world, with only five others – T-Series, PewDiePie, Cocomelon - Nursery Rhymes, SET India, and 5-Minute Crafts – boasting more subscribers.
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In this article, let’s delve into WWE’s video archive to find out which 10 videos have amassed the most number of views on the company’s YouTube channel.
#10 WWE Superstars scared senseless - 100m views
To celebrate Halloween in 2017, WWE uploaded a list of the top 10 moments that scared WWE Superstars senseless. Without giving away the #1 position, it goes without saying that nobody features more than The Undertaker in the list.
As you can see from the thumbnail, the video features The Boogeyman (not once but twice), while Kane dragging Seth Rollins underneath the ring on a 2015 episode of RAW also gets a mention.
Bray Wyatt’s spider walk in his match against a frightened John Cena at WrestleMania 30 is also included. However, due to this video being uploaded in October 2017, there is no room for “The Fiend” in the top 10.
#9 41-Man Battle Royal on WWE SmackDown - 101m views
WWE has started to upload full-length matches to YouTube over the last few years, and it is no surprise that three of those matches are among the most popular videos on the channel.
In October 2013, a 41-man Battle Royal from an October 2011 episode of SmackDown was uploaded. The chaotic match saw Randy Orton hit The Miz with an RKO on the ring apron to win the Battle Royal, setting up an immediate World Heavyweight Championship match against Mark Henry.
WWE uploaded both the Battle Royal and the title match in the same 34-minute video, which might explain why it was so popular.
#8 Stephanie McMahon furious with Roman Reigns - 102m views
One night after Roman Reigns’ vicious attack on Triple H at the end of the WWE TLC 2015 pay-per-view, Stephanie McMahon threatened to fire “The Big Dog” on an episode of RAW.
Reigns responded to Stephanie calling him a “disgrace” by saying she, Triple H and the entire McMahon family are all a “disgrace”, prompting the Chief Brand Officer to slap him in the face a total of eight times.
She then revealed that she will not fire Reigns because Triple H asked her not to, but she could not say the same for her father, Vince McMahon, who was on his way to the arena.
#7 Arrests made after WWE Hell in a Cell 2011 - 104m views
Alberto Del Rio defeated CM Punk and John Cena at Hell in a Cell 2011 to win the WWE Championship, but the most newsworthy moment of the pay-per-view came after the match when The Miz and R-Truth attacked all three Superstars, as well as the referees.
With the Hell in a Cell door locked, Triple H ordered the locker room down to ringside to attempt to break the structure open.
In the end, the door was opened with bolt cutters and police escorted The Miz and R-Truth out of the building.
#6 20-Man Battle Royal on WWE SmackDown - 124m views
Edge was forced to vacate the WWE World Heavyweight Championship in July 2007 due to a pectoral injury, leading to a 20-man Battle Royal on SmackDown to determine a new Champion.
The thumbnail gives away the winner of the match, which makes it surprising that the video managed to amass 124 million views.
The number of views is made even more impressive by the fact that this match, which saw The Great Khali win his first WWE World Heavyweight Championship, was uploaded to YouTube over six years after it first aired on television.
#5 John Cena and AJ Lee kiss - 128m views
One of the strangest storylines of John Cena’s WWE career came in late 2012 when he briefly became AJ Lee’s latest love interest.
Lee had been romantically involved with several WWE Superstars throughout the year – from Daniel Bryan and Kane to CM Punk and Dolph Ziggler – and she was even nominated four times for the Kiss of the Year prize in the 2012 Slammy Awards.
The video, which you can view here, shows the moment when Lee kissed Cena after he defeated Ziggler on an episode of RAW in November 2012.
#4 Tribute to the Troops six-man tag team match - 133m views
In December 2008, John Cena teamed with Batista and Rey Mysterio to face Randy Orton, Chris Jericho and The Big Show in a six-man tag team match at a WWE Tribute to the Troops event in Iraq.
Five years later, WWE uploaded the 12-minute video to its YouTube channel, and it turned out to be extremely popular with fans.
It is difficult to know this for certain, but there is a good chance that this six-man tag team match is the most-viewed match on any platform in WWE history.
#3 Stunning WWE in-ring proposals - 153m views
The third most-watched video on WWE’s YouTube channel is somewhat bittersweet, as the thumbnail shows the moment when John Cena proposed to his former partner, Nikki Bella, at WrestleMania 33.
Interestingly, this video is full of storyline proposals, including Daniel Bryan/AJ Lee and Summer Rae/Rusev, but it also highlights Cena’s real-life proposal to Nikki.
It was uploaded in October 2017, which means Angel Garza’s legitimate proposal in December 2019 did not make the list.
#2 John Cena and Brock Lesnar brawl on WWE RAW - 163m views
One week after Brock Lesnar returned to WWE in 2012, his star power proved an instant hit with fans online when his brawl with John Cena on an episode of RAW quickly began to amass a huge number of views on YouTube.
The segment saw Cena slap Lesnar in the middle of the ring, prompting “The Beast” to take down his Extreme Rules opponent before unleashing with a flurry of punches. Within seconds, the entire locker room ran down to the ring and tried to separate the two men.
Segments similar to this take place once or twice per year in WWE these days, but it was not as common back in 2012. That, perhaps, is why it has 163 million views.
#1 Randy Orton makes it personal with Triple H - 208m views
One of the most villainous moments in WWE history came in 2009 when Randy Orton hit Stephanie McMahon with a DDT in front of her handcuffed husband, Triple H, who watched the shocking incident unfold from just a few feet away.
After teasing that he might hit the unconscious Stephanie with a sledgehammer, Orton taunted Triple H even more by laying across her body and kissing her on the lips.
“The Viper” followed up with a sledgehammer shot to Triple H before walking away with his fellow Legacy colleagues, Cody Rhodes and Ted DiBiase.