Will AEW Rampage Conflict With WWE SmackDown on Friday Nights?

All Elite Wrestling and WarnerMedia confirmed on Wednesday that AEW Rampage, the long-awaited "third hour" of AEW weekly programming, will arrive on Friday, Aug. 13 on TNT. But as wrestling fans are already well aware, Friday nights are currently dominated by Friday Night SmackDown over on the FOX network. However, barring any massive overruns from the Blue Brand, Rampage will not have to run up against WWE's highest-rated show as the one-hour program doesn't start until 10 p.m. ET each week.

TNT, TBS and truTV general manager Brett Weitz confirmed in a conference call on Wednesday that Rampage's date and timeslot post-TBS jump have not been determined. Dynamite, on the other hand, will remain on Wednesday nights.

"The goal, AEW Dynamite, yes 100% (it will stay on the same night). And as we look towards where Rampage makes the most sense on TBS, we'll figure out where that looks like," Weitz said.

Weitz also explained why AEW will be moving to TBS.

"...More wrestling is a good thing, especially for the consumer. So we couldn't be more excited about having more wrestling on TBS," Weitz said. "As Tony Khan said in his quote, both TBS and TNT have an incredibly storied past with wrestling, so the idea of us being able to put more AEW onto TBS was a natural fit. The obvious idea for me to able to program these networks as a portfolio gives me the latitude to put them where it makes the most sense for the consumer.

"Did the NHL have anything to do with it? Sure, NHL had something to do with it," he continued. "The NBA had something to do with it, the new COVID schedule, a ton of pre-emptions. And so when we looked to where we believe the consumer is going to be and where wrestling fans are going to be, we want to give them the most opportunity to consume as many shows as possible, we felt that TBS had an opportunity to really be the network and the best platform for expansion."

"As a lifelong wrestling aficionado who is privileged to present AEW to longtime and new fans alike, it
means a lot to me — personally and professionally — to share the news that All Elite Wrestling will call TBS home beginning in 2022," AEW president Tony Khan explained in the initial press release. "The history of wrestling in the United States cannot be told without acknowledging the contributions of TBS, which as WTBS years ago delivered wrestling to the Southeast and eventually to a massive national audience. TBS has the same passion for wrestling today, but will offer AEW and our fans more prime time programming, content and global opportunities that will establish TBS as the world's undisputed destination for wrestling.

"And, while we're looking forward to our arrival on TBS, we're not saying goodbye to our original and current home of TNT, which will air four new special supercard events annually," he continued. "Plus, the financial upside to our new agreement will give us the opportunity to continue to invest in and grow AEW to serve the most important people in our industry: our fans, our wrestlers, our staff and our sponsors. With All Elite Wrestling: Dynamite and Rampage taking center stage via our new agreement on TBS next year, and the new quarterly supercards launching on TNT, our exposure and our opportunities to grow AEW are greater than ever!"