Dave Meltzer believes WWE’s continued counterprogramming of AEW is part of a broader strategy aimed at weakening the company’s television ratings ahead of future media-rights negotiations.
WWE has scheduled several events opposite AEW programming in recent months, and that trend will continue Wednesday when the taped WWE x AAA Worlds Collide special premieres on YouTube at 7 p.m. ET — one hour before AEW Dynamite begins.
Speaking on Wrestling Observer Radio, Meltzer argued that the potential objective extends well beyond attracting wrestling viewers for a single night. “Ultimately, the goal is that they don’t get renewed.”
Meltzer’s theory is that consistently putting WWE programming opposite AEW could negatively affect Dynamite’s television audience over time, potentially becoming a factor when AEW eventually negotiates its next media-rights agreement.
He does not expect Worlds Collide alone to have a significant impact on AEW’s numbers. However, Meltzer pointed to WWE beginning its show an hour before Dynamite as part of the strategy. “We’ll get the one hour jump on them.”
WWE has not publicly stated that its scheduling decisions are intended to prevent AEW from securing another television agreement. Meltzer’s comments represent his interpretation of the company’s ongoing counterprogramming rather than a confirmed WWE strategy.
The September 30 scheduling overlap has also taken on a different context since the Worlds Collide premiere time was announced.
AEW President Tony Khan has since confirmed that Wednesday night’s Dynamite from Pittsburgh will be dedicated to the life and career of PAC, who passed away over the weekend at the age of 40.
AEW’s decision to turn Dynamite into a PAC tribute show came after WWE had already announced the 7 p.m. ET premiere for Worlds Collide. WWE has not changed the scheduled start time.
As things stand, Worlds Collide will therefore overlap with the opening hour of an AEW broadcast dedicated to honoring one of the company’s original roster members.
