Wrestling fans are a different breed. We’ll wake up at 4 a.m. to watch a show from Tokyo or stay up until sunrise for a WrestleMania marathon. But when WWE decided to head to Germany for the first time ever for a major Premium Live Event (PLE), it threw everyone's internal clock for a loop. If you’ve been frantically searching for exactly when does bash in berlin start, you aren't alone. Between the Central European Summer Time (CEST) in Germany and the various zones in the U.S., things got kinda messy.
Honestly, the confusion usually stems from people assuming every WWE show follows the typical 8 p.m. Eastern window. That’s a mistake.
The Real Breakdown of When Does Bash in Berlin Start
Let’s just cut to the chase. The main card for Bash in Berlin officially kicked off at 7 p.m. local time in Berlin, Germany.
For the folks watching from the United States, that shifted the schedule into the afternoon. If you were on the East Coast, the show started at 1 p.m. ET. Out west? You were looking at a 10 a.m. PT start. Basically, it was the perfect "Saturday morning cartoons" vibe for the West Coast, while the East Coast got a solid matinee.
Why does this matter? Because if you showed up at 8 p.m. ET like it was a regular episode of Monday Night Raw, you would have missed Gunther and Randy Orton tearing the house down. You’d have walked in right as the highlights were playing and the arena was being swept. Not exactly the experience you’re paying for.
The Kickoff Show Factor
Don't forget the pre-game. WWE almost always runs a Kickoff show to build the hype, and for this event, it started an hour earlier.
- Berlin (Local): 6 p.m.
- New York (ET): 12 p.m.
- Los Angeles (PT): 9 a.m.
The Countdown show is where the panel breaks down the matches, but more importantly, it's where the atmosphere of the Uber Arena really started to bleed through the screen. Germany had been waiting decades for a show like this, and the energy was palpable even before the first bell.
Why the Berlin Start Time Was a Game Changer
WWE is lean, mean, and global now. Gone are the days when international shows were just glorified house shows that nobody in the States could watch live without a grainy satellite feed.
When you look at when does bash in berlin start, you're seeing a strategic shift. By starting at 7 p.m. in Germany, WWE captured the "Golden Hour" of European television. It was prime time for the local fans who packed the Uber Arena—all 13,149 of them.
But it also served the American audience surprisingly well. Usually, we're used to PLEs ending at midnight or later. With the Berlin schedule, the show was wrapped up by 4:30 p.m. or 5 p.m. on the East Coast. That left the whole Saturday night open for... well, more wrestling talk, probably.
The Match Order and Pacing
The timing influenced the flow. They didn't waste a second. Cody Rhodes and Kevin Owens opened the show, which is a massive way to start any event. Usually, you might expect a mid-card title to open, but they went straight for the Undisputed WWE Championship.
If you weren't tuned in the second it started, you missed "The American Nightmare" defending his gold in a match that was way more emotional than many expected.
Where to Watch and How to Avoid Spoilers
Since the event has passed, most people are looking for the replay. In the U.S., your home for this is Peacock. Internationally, it's the WWE Network.
One of the biggest issues with the early start time was the "Spoiler Minefield." If you lived in a time zone where the show was happening while you were at work or at the gym, your phone was your worst enemy. One quick glance at X (formerly Twitter) or Instagram, and you’d see a photo of Gunther standing over a defeated Randy Orton.
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Pro Tip: If you're watching a replay of an international PLE like this, turn off your notifications. Seriously. The WWE app is notorious for sending a "BREAKING NEWS: NEW CHAMPION" alert roughly 30 seconds after the 3-count happens.
The Cultural Impact of the Berlin Start Time
This wasn't just another show. This was a statement. For years, European fans felt like second-class citizens in the WWE Universe. They’d have to stay up until 2 a.m. to watch WrestleMania. By hosting Bash in Berlin at a local prime-time slot, WWE acknowledged that the European market is a powerhouse.
The crowd in Berlin was "raucous" to put it mildly. They sang along to Shinsuke Nakamura’s old theme (even though he wasn't on the card), they did the "Hey Bayley" chants, and they treated Gunther like a conquering hero. The timing allowed for that atmosphere to be the star of the show.
If the show had started at 1 a.m. local time to accommodate a 7 p.m. US start, the energy would have been completely different. Exhausted fans don't chant. They don't sing. They don't make for good TV.
Actionable Steps for the Next International PLE
WWE is heading back to Europe and other international spots frequently now (London, Lyon, Perth). Here is how you should prepare so you aren't left wondering about the start time again:
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- Check the "Local" Time First: Always look at the time in the host city. Most major arenas (like the Uber Arena) start their main events between 7 p.m. and 8 p.m. local time.
- Use a Time Zone Converter: Don't guess. "7 hours ahead" can get confusing when Daylight Savings Time is involved, as different countries switch on different weekends.
- The "Saturday Morning" Rule: For most European shows, if you are in North America, expect a late morning or early afternoon start. Set your alarms accordingly.
- Peacock Search: If you miss the live window, Peacock usually has the full replay uploaded within an hour of the show ending, though sometimes the "milestone" markers (that let you jump to specific matches) take a bit longer to appear.
Watching wrestling live is always better, but knowing exactly when the curtain goes up is half the battle. Bash in Berlin proved that the world is getting smaller, and the "start time" is now a global conversation.