AEW President Tony Khan is open to the idea of permanently moving some of the company’s pay-per-view events to an afternoon start time. Speaking at the media scrum following Saturday’s AEW All Out, Khan acknowledged that the recent string of afternoon shows has been successful and that it is a strategy he will consider for the future. The last three major AEW pay-per-views—All Out, AEW x NJPW Forbidden Door, and AEW All In: Texas—have all been held in the afternoon for a variety of reasons, including time zone considerations for international audiences and, in the case of All Out, a reaction to WWE’s counter-programming efforts with Wrestlepalooza.
When asked by Davey Portman of Poisonrana about the possibility of making the afternoon slot a permanent one, Khan was receptive to the idea. “It’s definitely something to think about, especially on Saturdays with the way the schedule works and what we’re doing. I do think there is something to it,” Khan said. “It’d be something to consider on some of the Sundays. It’s been tremendous for three straight pay-per-views. It’s something I would take into consideration”.
He specifically pointed to the positive results in the United Kingdom, a key market for AEW, as a significant factor in the decision-making process. “It’s the third straight pay-per-view with an early start time on the East Coast and in the prime time in the UK, and we’ve had great results in the UK. That’s a huge consideration to us, and that’s a big part of it. Whether it’s Saturday or Sunday, it’s something to think about.”
The move to an earlier start time has several potential benefits for AEW. For international fans, particularly in the UK, an afternoon show in North America translates to a prime-time viewing experience, which has proven to be a successful model for the company’s last three major events.
In the UFC, an afternoon show on a Saturday avoids direct competition with other major sporting events that typically dominate the evening, such as college football or major UFC cards. In the case of this weekend’s All Out, the afternoon start time allowed fans to watch the entire AEW show before WWE’s Wrestlepalooza began in the evening, a move that many fans appreciated.
If you use any portion of the quotes from this article, please credit AEW’s YouTube channel with an h/t to WrestlingNews.co for the transcription.
