• AEW Collision Draws Record Low Viewership
AEW Collision drew its smallest television audience to date when it went head-to-head with a stacked slate of college football broadcasts. The August 30 episode, broadcast from Philadelphia’s historic 2300 Arena, averaged 195,000 viewers on TNT. In the 18–49 demographic, the show recorded 54,000 viewers (0.04 rating). These numbers exclude streaming data from HBO Max.
This marked the lowest total for a regularly scheduled edition of Collision. The previous low for a non-preempted broadcast came on February 1, 2025, when the program averaged 197,000 viewers while airing opposite WWE’s Royal Rumble PLE.
Compared with the previous Saturday, overall viewership fell by 31 percent, while the 18–49 audience dropped by 42.5 percent. Within that demo, male viewers declined by 44 percent and female viewers by 39 percent.
The result placed Collision at tenth among cable programs for the evening. By contrast, ESPN’s coverage of Texas vs. San Antonio led the cable field with just over 1 million viewers and a 0.25 rating in the key demo.
Beyond cable, network competition proved even tougher. ABC’s primetime matchup between LSU and Clemson drew nearly 9.8 million viewers with a 2.51 rating in 18–49, dominating the night. Additional college football coverage on NBC and Fox, along with Baseball Night in America, further cut into the pro wrestling audience.
The episode was the third of seven events AEW has scheduled at the 2300 Arena as part of its ongoing residency. Looking ahead, the next Collision will feature a rematch between Jon Moxley and Daniel Garcia, as the company aims to rebound from its sharp ratings drop.
Also Read: AEW Makes 2 Major Announcements
• WWE’s Possible Plan For China Revealed
WWE officials are actively considering China as a destination for a future international show, with discussions centering on the idea of staging a Premium Live Event in Hong Kong.
According to Fightful Select, influential figures within WWE have been lobbying for several months to re-establish the company’s presence in the region. While nothing has been finalized, the concept of running a large-scale event in Hong Kong has been repeatedly floated during internal conversations.
The promotion has only hosted 8 events in China throughout its history, with most taking place in Shanghai. From 2016 through 2019, WWE regularly scheduled shows there during September, building what briefly looked like an annual tradition. That effort ended abruptly when the COVID-19 pandemic shut down international touring in 2020, and the company has not returned since.
A return would mark WWE’s first live presence in China in more than 5 years, signaling a renewed commitment to expanding its global reach. While there is no official timeline, the internal support for Hong Kong suggests WWE is once again looking to strengthen ties in one of the world’s largest entertainment markets.
