Steve Carrier on June 16, 2025
AEW may be rethinking its entire Saturday night strategy—Collision could soon find a permanent new home on Thursdays.
During the June 16, 2025 episode of the Fightful Report podcast, Sean Ross Sapp was asked directly during a Q&A if he had heard anything about AEW Collision permanently moving to Thursdays. This question has gained traction among fans, especially after AEW preemptively aired the April 17 episode live on a Thursday to avoid competition with WWE’s WrestleMania 41 weekend.
Sapp made it clear that while there’s no official move yet, it’s becoming more realistic once sports obligations for the network ease up.
“Yeah, with it being a hot topic among fans… if I personally heard any rumblings about Collision moving permanently to Thursdays in the future…”
That’s when he noted a key factor holding up the decision: AEW’s current broadcasting partners, who are tied to NBA and NHL coverage through spring.
“I would say now—or actually, once the Stanley Cup is over—then it’s more of a possibility. Once those are sort of cleared up.”
Sapp didn’t confirm anything was locked in, but mentioned that scheduling freedom becomes easier when those major sports leagues are no longer in play.
“But as of now, I have not heard that it’s moving to Thursday. It’s just that it would be a better possibility once NBA and NHL are up.”
The podcast discussion adds to mounting speculation that AEW is evaluating Collision’s future night due to competitive pressure and network preference. That idea was echoed by Wrestling Observer Radio’s Dave Meltzer, who spoke about how AEW’s network partners—particularly TBS—don’t want the show to go head-to-head with major wrestling broadcasts on free TV. Meltzer pointed specifically to WWE’s revived Saturday Night’s Main Event on NBC as something AEW is trying to avoid competing with.
“They are monitoring the situations when it comes to Saturdays with WWE major shows… in particular Saturday Night’s Main Event, because TBS doesn’t want to go against a wrestling show on NBC, understandably so.”
That’s a powerful factor in any potential move. Network pressure to avoid scheduling collisions with WWE—especially on free over-the-air channels—means AEW may not have much of a choice. Bryan Alvarez also clarified that the move to Thursdays wasn’t just a taping switch—it was a live broadcast, which signals serious testing of a new night.
“They are not going to be taping it Thursday and airing it on Saturday, airing it live on Thursday.”
That’s not just a scheduling dodge—it’s a strategic trial balloon. The April 17 live airing wasn’t random. It was part of a broader effort to gauge fan response, ratings performance, and how AEW can maintain viewership without going to war against WWE’s big shows every weekend.
As summer nears and TNT’s sports programming clears up, AEW could finally have the flexibility to commit to a permanent Thursday slot—one that might make Collision stronger in the long run.
Do you think AEW should officially move Collision to Thursdays full time? Or should they stick to Saturdays and fight WWE for attention? Please share your thoughts and feedback in the comment section below.
June 16, 2025 9:41 am
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