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Professional wrestling television program From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
AEW Rampage, also known as Friday Night Rampage or simply Rampage, is an American professional wrestling television program produced by the American promotion All Elite Wrestling (AEW) that premiered on August 13, 2021. It airs every Friday at 10 p.m. Eastern Time (ET) on TNT in the United States; although major sporting events occasionally move it to an earlier or later time slot the same day or the next day (as a special Saturday Night Rampage).
| AEW Rampage | |
|---|---|
AEW Rampage logo (2024–present) | |
| Genre | Professional wrestling |
| Created by | Tony Khan |
| Presented by |
|
| Starring | AEW roster |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Original language | English |
| No. of seasons | 2 |
| No. of episodes | 171 (list of episodes) |
| Production | |
| Producer | Tony Khan (Head of Creative) |
| Camera setup | Multi-camera setup |
| Running time | 120 minutes (including commercials) |
| Production company | All Elite Wrestling |
| Original release | |
| Network | TNT |
| Release | August 13, 2021 – present |
| Related | |
Rampage was AEW's second weekly television show, following the premiere of Dynamite, and the second professional wrestling program to air on TNT since the final episode of WCW Monday Nitro on March 26, 2001. With the premiere of Collision in June 2023 (which subsequently became AEW's secondary flagship program), and the cancellation of AEW's YouTube shows (Dark and Elevation), Rampage would essentially succeed the YouTube shows by focusing on younger and mid-to-low card talent.
Episodes of Rampage are typically taped after the live broadcast of the preceding episode of Dynamite. On occasion, some episodes are also taped after Collision, while other episodes air live.
The American professional wrestling promotion All Elite Wrestling (AEW) was officially announced and launched on January 1, 2019, and their weekly flagship television program, Dynamite, began airing on TNT that October.[1] On January 15, 2020, TNT's parent company WarnerMedia and AEW announced a US$175 million contract extension for Dynamite through 2023. As part of the new deal, it was also announced that AEW would be launching a second weekly television show.[2][3]
In May 2021, AEW revealed their second weekly television show, and fourth program overall, as AEW Rampage, which would begin airing on TNT on August 13 as a one-hour show on Fridays at 10pm Eastern Time (ET). During AEW's marquee event Double or Nothing on May 30, former WWE wrestler Mark Henry was announced to be a part of the Rampage commentary team as an analyst.[4][5] On August 4, Dynamite and Dark's commentators Excalibur and Taz and wrestler Chris Jericho, who had served as a guest commentator several times on Dynamite, were announced to join Henry as Rampage's four-man commentary team.[6] AEW President and Chief Executive Officer Tony Khan said that the commentary team would not always be all four men, as Henry would also have other roles on the show, such as doing interviews.[7] In September, AEW wrestler Ricky Starks replaced Henry on the commentary team, with Henry now just doing interviews on the show.[8]
In an interview with PWInsider, Khan stated that while Rampage would air live for most episodes, some episodes they would pre-tape, depending on the city that the preceding episode of Dynamite was held in (although this would later shift to most episodes being taped in conjunction with Dynamite with only a few airing live). He also said that Rampage would serve as the go-home show for AEW's pay-per-views (PPV), due to the show airing two days before those events. Rampage in turn replaced that role forDark; as although Dark normally aired on Tuesdays, it would instead air on Fridays during the week of a PPV to serve as the go-home show.[9] Khan also said that WarnerMedia had asked him if he would rather expand Wednesday's Dynamite to three hours, but he rejected the notion, stating that he did not want to run Dynamite for that length as he highly preferred that third hour as a separate show on a different night. He also claimed that Rampage would not be a secondary show to Dynamite, and that it would be its partner or its equivalent. He further said that Dynamite and Rampage would be AEW's core properties, while their YouTube shows, Dark and Dark: Elevation, would be their peripheral properties, essentially their developmental programs.[10]
Rampage airs immediately following WWE's own Friday television program, SmackDown, which airs on Fox. Although Dynamite had run against WWE's NXT from October 2019 to April 2021, there was expectation that there would be no overlap between Rampage and SmackDown in nearly the entire country[a] unless SmackDown were to run over its scheduled time, which ends at 10pm ET, when Rampage begins broadcasting.[11] To date, this has occurred only once, which was on October 15, 2021. That night, SmackDown aired a special episode titled "Supersized SmackDown", which extended its runtime to 10:30pm with the additional 30 minutes airing commercial free, therefore directly competing with Rampage for its first 30 minutes. SmackDown had also aired on Fox's sister channel FS1 due to the MLB playoffs airing on Fox, which also decreased SmackDown's normal average viewership.[12] During the 30 minutes that the shows went head-to-head, Rampage beat SmackDown in the key demographic of viewers aged 18 to 49, drawing 328,000 views to SmackDown's 285,000 views.[13]
It was initially announced that both Dynamite and Rampage would be moving to TNT's sister channel TBS, also owned by WarnerMedia, in January 2022. However, on September 23, 2021, it was revealed that Rampage would remain on TNT while only Dynamite would move to TBS.[14][15]
The May 6 and May 13, 2022, episodes of Rampage were moved to 5:30 p.m. ET in order to accommodate TNT's coverage of the NHL Stanley Cup playoffs. The May 20 episode was moved to 7 p.m. ET to make way for TNT's coverage of the NBA Western Conference finals.[16]
As a result of an amended broadcasting deal with Warner Bros. Discovery (formerly WarnerMedia), AEW added a third weekly program on Saturday nights called Collision, which premiered in June 2023 on TNT. The YouTube shows, Dark and Elevation, were canceled to make way for Collision, which was positioned as AEW's second main program, while Rampage shifted to focusing on younger wrestlers, essentially becoming what the YouTube shows were for the company.[17][18]
Due to the NCAA March Madness coverage occurring on March 22, 2024, Rampage instead aired live on March 20 immediately after Dynamite. Additionally, and for the first time for the program, Rampage aired on TBS that night.[19]
| Episode | Date | Venue | Location | Rating (18–49) | U.S. viewers (million) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Debut episode | August 13, 2021 | Petersen Events Center | Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania | 0.31[20] | 0.740[20] | Series debut; Rampage is the first weekly wrestling series to air Friday nights on a Turner network since WCW Power Hour in 1994. Second professional wrestling program to air on TNT since the final episode of WCW Monday Nitro on March 26, 2001.
|
| The First Dance[22] | August 20, 2021 | United Center | Chicago, Illinois | 0.53[23] | 1.126[23] | AEW debut of then-former WWE superstar CM Punk, who made his first professional wrestling appearance since he walked out from WWE after the Royal Rumble pay-per-view in January 2014.[24]
|
| Grand Slam | September 24, 2021 | Arthur Ashe Stadium | Queens, New York | 0.29[26] | 0.640[26] | Part 2 of the first annual Grand Slam event that aired as a special two-hour episode of Rampage taped immediately after Dynamite concluded on September 22, 2021; Rampage's first stadium show.
|
| Halloween episode | October 29, 2021 | Agganis Arena | Boston, Massachusetts | 0.25[27] | 0.623[27] | Halloween-themed special episode, second part of October 27, 2021 Dynamite taped immediately after conclusion.
|
| Black Friday episode | November 26, 2021 | Wintrust Arena | Chicago, Illinois | 0.18[28] | 0.431[28] | Part 2 of Thanksgiving Eve Dynamite on November 24, 2021. Taped immediately after Dynamite conclusion. |
| Holiday Bash[29] | December 25, 2021 | Greensboro Coliseum | Greensboro, North Carolina | 0.26[30] | 0.589[30] | Part 2 of Christmas-themed AEW Dynamite on December 22, 2021. Taped immediately after Dynamite conclusion: Holiday Bash concluded on December 22, 2021. Saturday airing of Rampage because of TNT's continuous airing of A Christmas Story starting on Christmas Eve.
|
| New Year's Smash | December 31, 2021 | Daily's Place | Jacksonville, Florida | 0.19[31] | 0.453[31] | Part 2 of the second annual New Year's Smash event. Taped immediately after Dynamite conclusion on December 29, 2021.
|
| Beach Break | January 28, 2022 | Wolstein Center | Cleveland, Ohio | 0.25[32] | 0.601[32] | Part 2 of the second annual Beach Break event. Taped immediately after Dynamite conclusion on January 26, 2022.
|
| Slam Dunk | February 18, 2022 | Nashville Municipal Auditorium | Nashville, Tennessee | 0.20[33] | 0.471[33] | Aired at 7pm EST due to NBA All-Star Weekend
Taped immediately after Dynamite conclusion on February 16, 2022.
|
| Road Rager | June 17, 2022 | Chaifetz Arena | St. Louis, Missouri | 0.12 | 0.369 | Part 2 of the second annual Road Rager event.
Taped immediately after Dynamite conclusion on June 15, 2022.
|
| Royal Rampage | July 1, 2022 | Little Caesars Arena | Detroit, Michigan | 0.16 | 0.486 | First annual Royal Rampage event, taped immediately after Dynamite: Blood & Guts's conclusion on June 29, 2022.
|
| Fyter Fest | July 15, 2022 | Enmarket Arena | Savannah, Georgia | 0.14 | 0.435 | Part 2 of the fourth annual Fyter Fest event.
Taped immediately after Dynamite conclusion on July 13, 2022.
|
| July 22, 2022 | Gas South Arena | Duluth, Georgia | 0.17 | 0.428 | Part 4 of the fourth annual Fyter Fest event.
Taped immediately after Dynamite conclusion on July 20, 2022. | |
| Fight for the Fallen | July 29, 2022 | DCU Center | Worcester, Massachusetts | 0.11 | 0.375 | Part 2 of the fourth annual Fight for the Fallen event.
Taped immediately after Dynamite conclusion on July 27, 2022. |
| Quake by the Lake | August 12, 2022 | Target Center | Minneapolis, Minnesota | 0.17 | 0.528 | Part 2 of AEW Quake by the Lake event.
Taped immediately after Dynamite conclusion on August 10, 2022. |
| Grand Slam | September 23, 2022 | Arthur Ashe Stadium | Queens, New York | 0.17 | 0.522 | Part 2 of the second annual Grand Slam event that aired as a special two-hour episode of Rampage taped immediately after Dynamite concluded on September 21, 2022. |
| Black Friday episode | November 25, 2022 | Wintrust Arena | Chicago, Illinois | 0.11 | 0.411 | Airing at 4pm ET due to an NHL Doubleheader on TNT.
Taped immediately after Dynamite conclusion on November 23, 2022. |
| Holiday Bash | December 23, 2022 | Freeman Coliseum | San Antonio, Texas | 0.18 | 0.566 | Part 2 of the third annual Holiday Bash event.
Taped immediately after Dynamite conclusion on December 21, 2022. |
| New Year's Smash | December 30, 2022 | 1stBank Center | Broomfield, Colorado | 0.12 | 0.470 | Part 2 of the third New Year's Smash event.
Taped immediately after Dynamite conclusion on December 28, 2022. |
| Slam Dunk | February 17, 2023 | Sames Auto Arena | Laredo, Texas | 0.07 | 0.287 | Aired at 7pm EST due to NBA All-Star Weekend
Taped immediately after Dynamite conclusion on February 15, 2023.
|
| St. Patrick's Day Slam | March 17, 2023 | Canada Life Centre | Winnipeg, Manitoba | 0.18 | 0.474 | Aired at 11:30pm EST due to NCAA men's basketball tournament.
Taped immediately after Dynamite conclusion on March 15, 2023.
|
| Saturday Night Rampage | March 25, 2023 | Independence, Missouri | Cable Dahmer Arena | 0.10 | 0.373 | Saturday airing of Rampage due to TNT'S post-show coverage of United States men's national soccer team game.
Taped immediately after Dynamite conclusion on March 22, 2023.
|
| April 22, 2023 | Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania | Petersen Events Center | 0.12 | 0.341 | Saturday airing of Rampage due to NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs.
Taped immediately after Dynamite conclusion on April 19, 2023.
| |
| May 13, 2023 | Detroit, Michigan | Little Caesars Arena | 0.07 | 0.284 | Saturday airing of Rampage due to NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs.
Taped immediately after Dynamite conclusion on May 10, 2023.
| |
| Championship Friday | June 2, 2023 | San Diego, California | Viejas Arena | 0.12 | 0.357 | Taped immediately after Dynamite conclusion on May 31, 2023
|
| Rampage 100 | July 7, 2023 | Edmonton, Alberta | Rogers Place | 0.12 | 0.368 | Celebrated the show's 100th episode.
Taped immediately after Dynamite conclusion on July 5, 2023
|
| Royal Rampage | July 21, 2023 | TD Garden | Boston, Massachusetts | 0.11 | 0.415 | Second annual Royal Rampage event, taped immediately after Dynamite: Blood & Guts's conclusion on July 19, 2023.
|
| Fight for the Fallen | August 18, 2023 | Bridgestone Arena | Nashville, Tennessee | 0.13 | 0.416 | Part 2 of the fifth annual Fight for the Fallen event.
Taped immediately after Dynamite: Fight for the Fallen conclusion on August 16, 2023.
|
| Fyter Fest | August 25, 2023 | Rupp Arena | Lexington, Kentucky | 0.11 | 0.348 | Part 2 of the fifth annual Fyter Fest event.
Taped immediately after Collision: Fight for the Fallen conclusion on August 19, 2023.
|
| Grand Slam | September 22, 2023 | Arthur Ashe Stadium | Queens, New York | 0.13 | 0.385 | Part 2 of the third annual Grand Slam event that aired as a special two-hour episode of Rampage taped immediately after Dynamite concluded on September 20, 2023.
|
| Saturday Night Rampage | November 25, 2023 | Petersen Events Center | Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania | 0.08 | 0.264 | Saturday airing of Rampage
|
| Winter Is Coming | December 15, 2023 | College Park Center | Arlington, Texas | 0.08 | 0.308 | Part 2 of the fourth annual Winter Is Coming event taped immediately after Dynamite concluded on December 13, 2023.
|
| Holiday Bash | December 22, 2023 | Paycom Center | Oklahoma City, Oklahoma | 0.10 | 0.363 | Part 2 of the fourth annual Holiday Bash event taped immediately after Dynamite's conclusion on December 20, 2023.
|
| New Year's Smash | December 29, 2023 | Addition Financial Arena | Orlando, Florida | 0.11 | 0.326 | Part 2 of the fourth New Year's Smash event taped immediately after Dynamite's conclusion on December 27, 2023.
|
| Homecoming | January 12, 2024 | Daily's Place | Jacksonville, Florida | 0.12 | 0.396 | Part 2 of the third Homecoming event taped immediately after Dynamite's conclusion on January 10, 2024.
|
| Beach Break | July 5, 2024 | Wintrust Arena | Chicago, Illinois | 0.10 | 0.309 | Part 2 of the third Beach Break event taped immediately after Dynamite's conclusion on July 3, 2024.
|
| Royal Rampage | July 26, 2024 | Bridgestone Arena | Nashville, Tennessee | 0.10 | 0.306 | Third annual Royal Rampage event, taped immediately after Dynamite: Blood & Guts's conclusion on July 24, 2024.
|
In the United States, Rampage currently airs live on Fridays on TNT at 10pm ET. The program was to move to TBS in January 2022,[34] but in September, AEW announced that while Dynamite would move to TBS, Rampage would remain on TNT.[35]
On September 25, 2019, AEW announced an international streaming deal with FITE TV primarily for regions outside of the United States and Canada via the "AEW Plus" package, which includes live streaming and replay access of Dynamite in simulcast with its U.S. airing. This was expanded to include Rampage.[36]
On August 9, 2021, PWInsider reported that TSN, which airs Dynamite in Canada, would stream Rampage online in simulcast with the U.S. through its website and TSN Direct service.[37]
On July 3, 2021, WarnerTV Serie (known as TNT Serie until 24 September 2021) announced a deal to air Rampage on Monday nights in Germany.[38][39]
On July 6, 2021, Toonami (another WarnerMedia channel) announced a deal to air Rampage in France.[40]
On August 27, 2021, Sky Sport (owned by Comcast, which holds rights to a rival wrestling promotion, WWE in the United States) and AEW announced that Rampage would air on Mondays nights in Italy.[41]
On January 1, 2022, AEW announced that Rampage would be broadcast every Tuesday night on ITV4 with repeats every Thursday night on ITV1 in the United Kingdom,[42] it is also available to view on their streaming service ITVX.
On February 10, 2022, Warner TV announced that they would air Rampage in Poland.[43]
In Spain, AEW announced that was going to air Rampage on TNT starting on June 19, 2022.[44]
On October 22, 2020, AEW reached an agreement with the digital platform Pluto TV, broadcasting its repeat events (including past pay-per-view) with commentators in Spanish from Latin America.[45]
On October 1, 2021, Rampage began airing on Space, a WarnerMedia International channel in Brazil and on Space's Spanish feed, available throughout Latin America on Saturdays.[46] On September 30, 2022, it was announced that AEW would stop airing on Space in Latin America on October 1, with Brazil following on December 30.[47][48]
Rampage began airing on TNT Africa on October 2, 2021, in Sub-Saharan Africa.[49] The show airs every Saturday morning at 10 AM CAT, one week after the U.S. broadcast.[50]
In India, Rampage airs on Eurosport starting on August 15, 2021, and later at the same time as the American airing from August 21, 2021, every Saturday 7:30 AM IST.[51] Eurosport is owned by Discovery Communications, which is set to acquire WarnerMedia later in 2021. Rampage began airing on Premier Sports in the Philippines in October 2021[52] On April 8, 2022, it was announced that as part of the AEW and NJPW working relationship that Rampage would air in Japan on NJPW World.[53][54]
Rampage airs on ESPN2 starting February 18, 2023, in Australia, New Zealand, Fiji, Samoa, Tonga, Cook Islands, Solomon Islands, Niue, Nauru, Vanuatu, Kiribati, Northern Marianas, Tokelau, Tahiti, Tuvalu, New Caledonia, American Samoa, Marshall Islands, Palau, Federated States of Micronesia, Papua New Guinea, and Wallis and Futuna.
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