AEW Winter Is Coming

Lore & Background

The first Winter Is Coming aired as a special episode of Wednesday Night Dynamite on December 2, 2020, announced on the November 18 episode. It was notable for the debut of former WCW legend Sting in AEW, his first appearance on TNT in over 19 years. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the event was held at Daily's Place in Jacksonville, Florida. The second event, on December 15, 2021, was announced on the November 19 episode of Friday Night Rampage, establishing the special as an annual tradition. It was held at the Curtis Culwell Center in Garland, Texas, as AEW had returned to live touring.

The third Winter Is Coming, on December 14, 2022, returned to the Curtis Culwell Center and was the first to air on TBS after Dynamite moved to that channel earlier in January. The 2023 event expanded to a three-part special, encompassing Dynamite on December 13 at the College Park Center in Arlington, Texas, plus Rampage (taped after Dynamite, aired December 15) and Collision (live December 16 at the Curtis Culwell Center). The 2024 event was held December 11, 13, and 14, with Dynamite live from the T-Mobile Center in Kansas City, Missouri, Rampage taped after Dynamite, and Collision taped December 12 at Chaifetz Arena in St. Louis, Missouri. This was the first Winter Is Coming outside Texas since the original 2020 event.

The sixth Winter Is Coming in 2025 was reduced to two nights following the cancellation of Rampage at the end of 2024. Dynamite aired live December 10 from the Gateway Center Arena in College Park, Georgia, simulcast on TBS and HBO Max. Collision aired live December 13 from Utilita Arena in Cardiff, Wales, United Kingdom, simulcast on TNT and HBO Max. This marked the first Winter Is Coming held outside the United States and the first to stream on HBO Max. The Dynamite broadcast saw the crowning of the inaugural AEW Women's World Tag Team Champions, won by The Babes of Wrath (Willow Nightingale and Harley Cameron).

Reader's Guide

AEW Winter Is Coming serves as a key annual event in All Elite Wrestling's December programming, originally a special episode of Dynamite and later expanding to multiple nights. Its title, borrowed from Game of Thrones, reflects Warner Bros. Discovery's cross-promotional strategy, linking AEW broadcasts to HBO Max and other company properties. The event has been a platform for significant moments, including Sting's AEW debut in 2020 and the introduction of the AEW Women's World Tag Team Championships in 2025. The special's evolution—from a single night to three nights and back to two—mirrors changes in AEW's weekly lineup, particularly the cancellation of Rampage. Its expansion to international venues, such as Cardiff, Wales, in 2025, demonstrates AEW's growing global reach. Winter Is Coming remains a consistent fixture in AEW's calendar, blending in-ring competition with broader media synergy.

Did You Know?

• The title 'Winter Is Coming' was approved by WarnerMedia officials, who used Dynamite to promote HBO Max and other WarnerMedia properties.
• The 2020 event marked Sting's first appearance on TNT in over 19 years since he defeated Ric Flair on the final episode of WCW Monday Nitro in March 2001.
• The 2025 event was the first Winter Is Coming to stream on HBO Max, following AEW's updated broadcast deal with Warner Bros. Discovery.
• The 2025 Dynamite broadcast crowned the inaugural AEW Women's World Tag Team Champions, The Babes of Wrath (Willow Nightingale and Harley Cameron).