AEW Collision experienced a significant viewership boost for its April 26th episode, drawing an average of 707,000 viewers on TNT, according to figures reported by Nielsen via Wrestlenomics. Airing in its traditional Saturday night timeslot, the show also secured a 0.21 rating in the crucial 18-49 demographic. These numbers represent a substantial increase from the previous week’s episode.
The April 26th show, branded “Playoff Palooza,” more than doubled the viewership of the April 17th episode, which averaged 353,000 viewers and a 0.08 demo rating when preempted to a Thursday night slot. Compared to the last Saturday airing on April 12th (455,000 viewers / 0.12 demo), this week saw viewership jump by 55% and the demo rating increase by 75%. Historically, this marks Collision’s third-highest total viewership ever recorded and its highest since July 29, 2023. The 0.21 demo rating was also the show’s best since late March when it benefited from a March Madness lead-in.
The primary driver for this ratings surge was undoubtedly the strong lead-in provided by TNT’s coverage of the NBA Playoffs. The Denver Nuggets vs. Los Angeles Clippers game that aired immediately preceding Collision averaged a robust 3.387 million viewers and a 1.12 rating in the 18-49 demographic. Collision capitalized effectively on this inherited audience, ranking #4 for the night among cable originals in the key demo, holding its own against other live sports like UFC Fight Night on ESPN2 and the NHL Playoffs on TBS.
The episode itself featured notable matches including the rubber match between FTR and Paragon (Kyle O’Reilly & Roderick Strong), Toni Storm facing Queen Aminata in a Championship Eliminator, and the return of Anna Jay. The strong performance highlights the significant impact lead-in programming can have on Collision’s viewership, especially when paired with compelling in-ring content. Viewership numbers for the show’s simulcast on the Max streaming service were not available.
