Because AEW All Out 2026 occurred on a Saturday, the usual “AEW Collision” episode was rescheduled and appended to the end of the September 23 “AEW Dynamite” broadcast, resulting in a special three-hour event for viewers. During the “Collision” segment, Chris Jericho and Nick Wayne challenged each other to a match at AEW Grand Slam France. Queen Aminata earned another significant victory against Skye Blue, and unbeknownst to fans at the time, PAC competed in the second-to-last match of his career against Ace Austin shortly before his untimely death a few days later.
Despite the change in schedule and airing on a different night, “Collision” performed strongly in the ratings by following directly after “Dynamite.” According to Wrestlenomics, the September 23 “Collision” episode drew an average of 493,000 viewers, a 46% increase over the previous episode’s 337,000 viewers on September 19. This figure also surpasses the trailing four-week average of 343,000 viewers by 44%. The September 2026 average remains at 343,000, which is 32% higher than September 2025’s average, despite that month also including a preempted Wednesday-night episode. The 2026 third-quarter average for “Collision” now stands at 383,000 viewers, marking a 30% increase from the same period in 2025. Notably, these numbers do not account for viewers who streamed the show live on HBO MAX.
Following “Dynamite” provided a significant boost in the key 18-49 demographic for “Collision,” which posted a 0.08 rating—twice as high as the rating it earned four days earlier. This 0.08 rating is also 33% higher than the trailing four-week average of 0.06. Wrestlenomics has yet to confirm “Collision’s” position in the prime-time cable rankings due to the timing of the data release, though it likely ranked below “Dynamite,” which received a 0.10 rating.
Fan Take: This marks a pivotal moment for AEW as it shows how strategic scheduling can significantly elevate viewership, especially when combining star power and special events. For fighting fans, higher ratings and engagement mean more investment in storylines and matches, which could push the sport’s popularity and production values even further.
Source: www.wrestlinginc.com
