AEW Collision ratings see shocking increase against historic competition
AEW is continuing its build toward All In with several major storylines, and the July 13 episode of Collision promised to feature several exciting moments. Despite the fact that a historic event snatched the headlines on Saturday night, AEW Collision saw an unexpected increase in ratings.
Less than two hours before Collision aired on July 13, there was an assassination attempt on United States presidential candidate Donald Trump at a campaign rally in Pennsylvania. Naturally, coverage of the event dominated the airwaves on Saturday night, and many wrestling fans expected Collision to be an afterthought.
That didn't end up being the case, as AEW Collision drew an average of 362,000 viewers, an increase of 18% over the previous week's episode, according to WrestleNomics. It also boasted a 0.14 rating in the key 18-49 demo, a staggering 75% increase over the July 6 edition.
The massive demo increase could be due to many older viewers tuning into the coverage of the assassination attempt, leaving a larger audience of 18-49-year-olds for AEW's Saturday show. The overall viewership increase, however, might be a result of the Jacksonville-based company's momentum ahead of next month's All In pay-per-view.
This week's AEW Collision will feature the debut of a new star
Tony Khan surprised fans with a cryptic vignette teasing the arrival of a new star on Collision. Fans have been trying to work out the identity of the ninja-like character, and it seems they'll finally get some answers this Saturday.
The most recent episode of Collision confirmed that the new star, who seems to be named Hologram, will debut this week.
Many fans speculated that the new character could be Ricochet, who recently departed WWE and is reportedly set to join the Jacksonville-based promotion. However, recent reports have indicated that it is none other than Mexican luchador Aramis, who is known primarily for his time in AAA.
It's been reported that the Hologram character was personally devised by Tony Khan. Whether the Mexican star can make an impact in All Elite Wrestling with this gimmick remains to be seen.