AEW is set to face direct competition from WWE SummerSlam 2024 this Saturday despite attempting to avoid scheduling conflicts.
AEW Collision’s start time has been adjusted to 7:00 PM EST on TNT, with the event being taped Thursday night at the Esports Stadium in Arlington, Texas.
In response, WWE announced during RAW that SummerSlam 2024 will feature a three-hour pre-show starting at 4:00 PM EST, followed by the main card at 7:00 PM EST.
On the latest edition of Wrestling Observer Radio, Dave Meltzer reported that AEW initially planned to air the show on Friday night to avoid direct competition with WWE SummerSlam 2024, but these plans have changed. He said,
“They moved Collision to not go head-to-head, that’s why it’s on at 5 o’clock. I had thought they were going to put Collision on Friday night, which at one point was the plan. That’s why they’re taping on Thursday this week. For whatever reason…they’re not going to do a good number for Collision. It’s gonna be brutal between SummerSlam and the Olympics. It’s gonna be real, real tough for Collision this week.”
Regardless of scheduling, AEW has historically seen a decrease in ratings when pitted against WWE programming, whether head-to-head or following an afternoon WWE event.
