Last night on "WWE NXT," CM Punk made a surprise appearance during the contract signing between Ethan Page and Trick Williams for the NXT Championship, and announced that he will be the special guest referee for their match October 1 on The CW.

WWE NXT viewership increased on7. Wrestlenomics (via Programming Insider) reports that NXT drew 677,000 viewers on Tuesday and a 0.21 rating in the 18 to 49 demographic. These numbers are up from last week,

WWE is making significant efforts to boost NXT's viewership with main roster stars appearing on the show. CM Punk's recent appearance led to a notable increase in viewers, surpassing AEW's numbers. Upcoming episodes on the CW Network will feature major matches and appearances from top WWE superstars,

Tuesday night’s WWE NXT episode, featuring an appearance by CM Punk, averaged 677,000 viewers on USA Network. That’s up 7.8 percent from last week and is the best audience total for the show since June 18.