AEW is shaking up its schedule later this month, as Collision will be divided into two separate one-hour episodes instead of its usual two-hour Saturday night slot. This adjustment is being made to accommodate TNT’s coverage of the NCAA March Madness tournament.
Collision’s Temporary Schedule Change
Instead of airing in its usual Saturday primetime slot on March 23, Collision will air in two parts:
- Saturday, March 23 – 11 PM EST
- Sunday, March 24 – 11 PM EST
Both episodes will air after NCAA tournament games, giving AEW the potential benefit of a strong lead-in audience.
Why the Change?
On Wrestling Observer Radio, Dave Meltzer explained the reasoning behind AEW’s decision. Given how important March Madness is to TNT, the network could have opted to preempt Collision entirely. Instead, AEW is testing out a split schedule, taping both episodes in advance on March 20 in Omaha.
Meltzer noted that the plan allows AEW to avoid a late-night second hour on Saturday, which could see a drop in viewership. By spreading the content across two nights, the company hopes to maximize its audience—at least for the Saturday episode. However, Sunday presents more uncertainty since AEW has struggled with non-traditional time slots in the past.
Will This Experiment Pay Off?
AEW has faced challenges when shifting Collision’s time slot, as seen with previous preemptions. However, with the NCAA tournament drawing in millions of viewers, the post-game placement could give AEW a much-needed ratings boost. Whether this experiment succeeds remains to be seen, but it will be an interesting test for Collision’s viewership outside of its usual schedule.
What do you think of this strategy? Will AEW benefit from the NCAA tournament lead-in, or will the Sunday slot struggle? Let us know in the comments!
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