All Elite Wrestling’s residency at the Aragon Ballroom concluded on July 31 with a special Thursday edition of “AEW Collision.” Highlights included Swerve Strickland and Athena challenging Okada and Toni Storm, FTR and Brodido achieving a significant win in the AEW Tag Team Championship Eliminator Tournament, and Cyle Fletcher defeating Dustin Rhodes to claim the TNT Championship.
This Thursday airing was strategically scheduled to avoid competing with WWE’s SummerSlam Premium Live Event, and the move paid off. According to Programming Insider and Wrestlenomics, the July 31 episode of “Collision” saw a 25% increase in live viewership, reaching 409,000 viewers and totaling 427,000 overall. This surge placed the show above its typical four-week average of 326,000 viewers, marking a 26% improvement compared to the July 10 episode. Notably, these figures exclude live streams on HBO Max.
The 18-49 demographic also experienced a boost, with the July 31 episode earning a 0.10 rating compared to 0.08 for the July 26 episode and the 25% average. Despite this growth, “Collision” ranked below Fox News, “The Unrealistic Joker,” “Family Guy,” and “Jersey Shore: Family Vacation” in Primetime Cable Rankings. However, during its 8 pm ET timeslot, the show placed third behind Fox News and “Jersey Shore.”
Fan Take: This ratings spike is a promising sign for AEW, showing they can successfully compete with WWE even on big event nights. For AEW fans, it highlights growing interest and could signal increased investment in future programming and talent development, boosting the sport’s overall profile.
