The April 12, 2025, edition of AEW Collision saw a significant boost in viewership, leading to questions about the contributing factors. While AEW promised follow-up to one of Dynasty’s big angles and lots of Owen Hart Foundation Tournament action, the question remains: Was the increase due to the content itself, or were external factors at play? The episode delivered numbers the show hasn’t had in its regular timeslot since last December.
This article will delve into the ratings, explore potential reasons behind the surge, and analyze the competition faced by AEW Collision. By examining these elements, we can gain a clearer understanding of what truly drove the show’s success on that particular Saturday night. Key factors include a lead-in from The Avengers: Endgame on TNT, the absence of direct competition from college basketball, and the overall strength of the episode’s content.
AEW Collision Ratings: A Detailed Look
The April 12th episode of AEW Collision was watched by 455,000 viewers and achieved a 0.12 rating in the 18-49 demographic. Compared to the previous week’s pre-taped Dynasty go-home show, this represented a substantial increase of 36% in viewership and 50% in the key demographic. Notably, this was the best-performing non-preempted show of the year. If one excludes the December 21st episode, which benefited from following a college football playoff game, one has to go back to September to find a Collision episode with a better demo number, and to July for one with a larger overall audience.
Those are well above the previous week’s pre-taped Dynasty go home show, 36% and 50% respectively.
These figures highlight a significant improvement in viewership, suggesting that something about this particular episode resonated with viewers. Whether it was the specific matches, the storylines, or external factors, the numbers speak for themselves.
The Avengers: Endgame Lead-In
One potential factor in AEW Collision’s ratings success was the lead-in programming on TNT. Avengers: Endgame aired from 4-8 p.m. ET on Saturday, preceding Collision, and garnered a 0.13 rating with 486,000 viewers. The presence of such a popular movie could have drawn viewers to the channel, some of whom may have stayed to watch AEW Collision.
While it doesn’t fully explain Collision’s surge, the Avengers: Endgame undoubtedly played a role in boosting viewership. The movie’s strong performance suggests that it captured a significant audience, providing a solid foundation for Collision to build upon.
Absence of College Basketball Competition
For the first time in several weeks, AEW Collision didn’t face direct competition from playoff college basketball. This absence of a major sporting event on competing networks could have freed up viewers to tune into Collision. However, live sports options still existed on April 12th, including ESPN’s coverage of the UFC 314 prelims, which won the night with a 0.38 rating in the demo from 1.03 million viewers. ESPN2’s coverage of the NCAA Hockey Championship also performed well, with a 0.16 rating and an audience of 594,000.
Despite these competing sports events, AEW Collision finished fourth in primetime on cable, demonstrating its ability to attract a sizable audience even in a competitive landscape. The absence of college basketball certainly helped, but it wasn’t the sole determinant of the show’s success.
AEW Collision Viewership Over the Past Year
To provide a broader perspective, here’s a rundown of Collision’s viewership and demo rating over the past year:
- Dec. 28: 467K / .13
- Jan. 4: 461K / .13
- Jan. 11: 621K / .21
- Jan. 18: 378K / .12
- Jan. 25: 523K / .15
- Feb. 1†: 415K / .15
- Feb. 8: 378K / .11
- Feb. 15: 388K / .13
- Feb. 22†: 431K / .13
- Feb. 29: 429K / .14
- Mar. 7: 422K / .12
- Mar. 14**: 306K / .08
- Mar. 21: 362K / .14
- Mar. 28: 472K / .15
- Apr. 4: 382K / .12
- Apr. 11**: 189K / .08
- Apr. 12: 455K / .12
* Aired outside its usual Saturday primetime slot
** Ran directly opposite a WWE show or event
† Ran the same day as a WWE event
Collision Moving to Thursday
To avoid WrestleMania competition, Collision will move to Thursday this week but will face competition from wrestling events in Las Vegas that night. The Spring BreakThru edition will be a test of the show’s ability to maintain its viewership in a new timeslot and against increased competition.
The numbers from this week’s show will provide further insights into the factors that influence AEW Collision’s ratings. It will be interesting to see how the change in timeslot and the increased competition affect viewership.
Conclusion: A Confluence of Factors
In conclusion, AEW Collision’s best ratings since last December can be attributed to a combination of factors. The lead-in from Avengers: Endgame on TNT, the absence of direct competition from college basketball, and the strength of the episode’s content all played a role in boosting viewership.
While it’s impossible to pinpoint the exact contribution of each factor, it’s clear that a confluence of events created a favorable environment for AEW Collision to succeed on April 12th. The show’s ability to attract a significant audience, even in a competitive landscape, demonstrates its continued relevance and appeal to wrestling fans.
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