AEW will not go head-to-head with WWE SmackDown in the ratings on January 1, 2027. Dynamite: New Year’s Smash is set to air that Friday afternoon, before SmackDown.
Dave Meltzer said on Wrestling Observer Radio he was initially told the wrong time slot. Meltzer now says Dynamite will start between 3:30 and 4 p.m. ET, right after a college football game.
Meltzer also talked about the chance for AEW to be seen by people who don’t normally watch pro wrestling. He sees the first few minutes of the show as crucial.
“They have 15, 30 minutes to really deliver something in front of an audience that normally will not be watching the show.”
Meltzer felt a head-to-head clash with SmackDown would be bad for AEW, in large part because Dynamite will be away from its usual Wednesday night slot.
SmackDown will air in its normal 8 p.m. ET time slot on USA Network.
WWE is planning to tape that episode on December 28 in Tampa, Florida. The show is being pre-taped so the roster can get time off for the holiday, and WWE is not planning to change that.