The practice of counter-programming in professional wrestling is reportedly being criticized as a tiring and ultimately unhelpful strategy. This approach, where multiple promotions schedule major events concurrently, appears to be straining viewer resources and engagement.
Recent scheduling examples highlight the issue. TNA's Slammiversary featured a pre-show starting at 3 p.m. Eastern, followed by NXT's Great American Bash at 7 p.m., and AEW's Forbidden Door main card commencing at 8 p.m. and concluding near 1 a.m. the following day. For fans wishing to consume content from all three, this presents a potential commitment of up to 10 consecutive hours of wrestling.
The financial and temporal demands of such scheduling are significant. The combined cost for pay-per-view events could approach $90 plus tax, with additional subscription costs like HBO Max further increasing the barrier to entry. The analysis questions how many fans possess the available time and financial means to participate in such a packed schedule, particularly during summer months.
It is suggested that this strategy inevitably leads to some wrestling entities suffering, as the audience is spread too thin across multiple, overlapping offerings.
