AEW Dynamite New Year’s Smash 2027 Show No Longer Expected To Go Head-To Head With WWE SmackDown Show & Have Earlier Start Time Instead

As noted before, AEW recently announced that next year’s AEW New Year’s Smash will be a two-night Dynamite and Collision special on January 1-2 in Atlanta, Georgia. The Dynamite edition of New Year’s Smash is notable for being the first time ever that Dynamite would go head-to-head against WWE’s SmackDown. WWE is currently believed to not have any plans to change their taping schedule for SmackDown to be a live show that same night for competition.

Dave Meltzer reported in a recent episode of the Wrestling Observer Radio that AEW’s Dynamite New Year’s Smash 2027 will no longer be going head-to-head against WWE’s SmackDown show as had been previously thought. Meltzer reported that the current broadcast plans are for AEW’s show to take place earlier in the day after the NCAA College Football Playoffs.

Meltzer reported that the current plans are for Dynamite to air at around 3:30 to 4PM EST, which would mean that the show would be done hours before WWE’s SmackDown show starts later that night on USA Network. The current start time listed on AEW’s website is 3:30PM EST.

Meltzer also reported that while the afternoon is usually a bad time slot, AEW;s show should benefit from the strong lead-in from the College Football Playoff game even though the game may be simulcast across several channels.