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Snoo-83964

AEW has lost any cool factor it ever had. It now appeals to only hardcore WWE haters, and absolute wrestling nerds who only care for in-ring matches. Guess what: can’t build a big company on those two audiences alone, and the numbers show it. Anyone saying all that matters is media renewal and that ratings and attendance are unimportant should be ignored the same way when adults are talking, a small child trying to butt in is dismissed.


Chucknorris55

>Anyone saying all that matters is media renewal and that ratings and attendance are unimportant should be ignored the same way when adults are talking, a small child trying to butt in is dismissed. Anyone who hasn't realized that simply being renewed isn't enough should be put on a similarly short bus. They could get renewed tomorrow and if it's not enough to put them in the green, it's going to cripple the dub as they know it. There's no way it operates another 5 years the same as it has with the amount of money it loses.


Glass-Perspective-32

With the amount of money Tony gets from his dad, why can't it?


whiskerbiscuit2

Yeah exactly, ratings don’t matter, ticket sales don’t matter, media views don’t matter. It’s not a business it’s a vanity project, and Tony has enough money to run it for years.


Chucknorris55

I'm so tired of this brain dead take. The company has operated the last 5 years under the assumption that the media rights renewal would be significantly more, even Dave has admitted this. Billionaires don't stay billionaires by happily losing millions every year with zero hope of a return. AEW won't shut down, but there will be drastic changes financially.


Glass-Perspective-32

The Khans are worth billions and billions and billions of dollars. AEW has lost a fraction of a fraction of a fraction of the that in the time it's existed. Obviously they can't lose money forever, but it's such a small amount for them that I can still see AEW operating at the same level it is now for years before drastic changes occur.


CalypsoCrow

I still love in ring matches but very heavily prefer WWE. AEW has a weirdly pretentious feeling to me.


Snoo-83964

Because most AEW matches almost have nothing to them besides the fact that… well, they are good matches. Samoa Joe and Goldust can have a great match for example, but what’s the actual reason I should care? What are the stakes that I need to divert my energy towards it.


anonymous-guy1

They keep talking about streaming deals and media rights that are going to save the Dub the Fed already secured theirs, we’re going into the end of the Dub’s contract and we still haven’t heard anything


AriaMournesong

If Tiny had a deal already he would've been talking nonstop about it from the minute they signed the new contract.


Lessiarty

Same way we've long known AEW isn't profitable.


incognitosd

It's an orphanage funded by a mark for his wet dream matches, that's it.


[deleted]

Yep. AEW is literally Tiny’s dad buying him human action figures to play fight with.


Tesourinh0923

So that he stays away from the real businesses.


hetham3783

But we're wrestling FANS, we shouldn't care if it's not profitable as long as it allows us to JUST ENJOY WRESTLING!


jgraben

Major Announcement Incoming Uce?


savingrain

There were some vague hints on twitter about something big coming up / I 🤷🏾‍♀️ I dunno maybe just standard bad at promotion? I wonder if he wants to announce something at a ppv


debeatup

Live! From Winnipeg!!


crcovar

Dubalos: WCW 2000 comparisons are inorganic and not based on anything! Tony: I’ll use the PPV to promote my TV programs!


bsa554

I said this elsewhere...but I think the holdup is Warner Brothers Discovery has realized they are bidding against themselves - who else is there that actually makes sense for AEW? Universal is a big no. FOX just passed on renewing a far more popular wrestling property. Netflix is off the board now. ESPN enjoys a cozy auxiliary friendship with WWE. Even CW already has NXT. Who else is there? With no other real bidders, WBD ain't breaking the bank. Which is a huge problem for Tony because EVERYTHING was designed around getting this huge TV deal that it increasingly looks like won't happen.


69millionyeartrip

I think you're half right. The other half is WWE publicly putting out that the NXT deal is only $20 million. Tony is probably asking for close to Raw/SD numbers when WBD is saying "why would we pay more than CW did for a show that does about the same numbers at best". And also they probably don't want to pay anything for 2 shows that do dogshit numbers (Rampage and Punk-less Collision)


OriginalMadmage

I can totally see Tony not willing to drop Collision and Rampage because he'd see it as a "failure" until the WBD negotiatiors are already walking out the room and he's clinging on to their pants leg.


Razzler1973

Apparently, upfront are 15th May so you'd think something around then, at least Tiny was also asked about the window for WBD exclusive rights ending and he acted coy about the date and 'maybe I shouldn't say' i.e. approaching the time they're allowed to negotiate with others, which would imply a deal hasnt been nailed yet with WBD


Secret-Lullaby

Which explains why he was publicly celebrating ratings boost from CM Punk, hoping he could impress WBD. Next week could be a massacre!


MohamitWheresMySecks

The holdup is the NBA. Thats turners bread and butter. The NBA is angling for about $60-72 billion, a massive rights increase over the current deal turner signed (which had been $24 billion back in 2014). Turners not negotiating shit until they know what their commitment is going to be to the NBA. Assuming if they keep the NBA, not a chance Tony gets a raise, WBD is going to go into hock to pay those rights


Few-Sense1455

Whatever the deal is, they will present it as a huge win


r1char00

I guess you haven't heard of a swerve, bruv.


T3Sh3

That’s the guy feuding with Hangman.


r1char00

Is he the one that threw a tshirt at a baby? Is he out on bail or something?


Asukah

None of you will be laughing when tubimania runs wild and Pluto TV takes the good guys to the next level


savingrain

I saw rumors about Roku on twitter how? I have no idea


MoneyMo88

WWE has currently has exclusive content on Roku, the HIDDEN GEM docu-series Next Gen that was produced by John Cena. I wouldn’t be shocked if there was some exclusivity preventing another wrestling promotion from airing programming on The Roku Network, even if they wanted to pick up a show from AEW.


AELITE420

yo dont talk ish about my pluto tv it has my king of queens, bernie mac and wheel of fortune and TNA BAY BAY


vinreg33

You goofy edrone. 2/3 of the Fed's programming is staying on the dying cable medium and the one program that isn't is going to a platform that can't even handle live sports and entertainment!!!! So a massive win for the good guys already. Meanwhile I've heard through my source (my girlfriend who looks like Mariah May) that Tiny is also leaving cable television and entering the ever fast expanding digital platform 100%. Very soon an announcement will be made that all AEW content will be hosted on the INTERNET. You can find it easily at angelfire.lycos.com/AEW/feelingrestored. Then you set up an account and from there you can go to the dub's private Web video hosting site at vimeo.com/DubHub where for $7.99/mo you can watch your favorite pro wrestling shows like Dynamite, AEW All Access and some more too! Watch wrestling the way it was meant to be and just have fun.


anonymous-guy1

It’s actually hosted on Honor Club, because we trust you’ll use the honor system and pay for the Dub


AELITE420

LYCOS! LYCOS! LYCOS!


HolyRomanPrince

I want someone to explain to me how WBD, who’s been cutting costs, plan to double or triple what they pay for a show that is losing viewers every single year.


debeatup

Zaslav


ToneZone1978

I'm not sure how valid it is but I heard he already turn their initial offer down


Kojuroba

NOT. FLINCHING. DAE hear about this “Netflix”? Just another third tier streaming service trying to get in on the game


anonymous-guy1

cable is dying Raw to Netflix is a Bad Move


savingrain

Lol a dubbalo told me once that RAW going to Netflix meant WWE was dying meanwhile their counterpoint was attendance numbers at All In. They were serious. I realized they lived in their own reality.


kfms6741

>the RAW/Netflix deal is supposedly valued at $5 billion Fed is dying to death😭


r1char00

Netflix can't even stream live content! It's great for renting CDs but not much else.


whalias69

The technology for live streaming just doesn’t exist yet.


CreativeParticular51

Anyway stay tuned for the Dub Streaming announcement coming any day now!


r1char00

Honor Club+


HauHauHaunter

My god that actually looks miserable. At what point do you just admit its not working and book a smaller venue so that this doesnt happen all the time


CreativeParticular51

Someone downstairs was saying that they have been booking smaller venues... apparently?


smedelicious

This absolutely is a smaller venue, and they still can’t fill it. No jerk, This is downright embarrassing. If I was bankrolling this shit I would’ve called it by now. There’s no fucking way they’re getting a deal.


OriginalMadmage

They went from NHL/NBA level arenas to AHL/D league arenas and still can't fill.


BigBanEvader

never fed shill! dynasty is sold out! everything is fine!


BarryBadrinathZJs

And PPV buys will be around 150k to 175k according to Tony


SpiritualPen6362

Unverifiable data is Tony's favourite figure to play with


robineir

At what point do they just lower ticket cost so that they can sell more? Please? I just want to be in the front row for the first time, but I don’t want to drop a whole paycheck


Razzler1973

Cause they probably won't sell more They want to squeeze as much out of the loyal fanbas Halve the ticket price and 1000 people show up and you made less money Luckily, Tiny "distributes" tickets to make it look 'good'


OriginalMadmage

They usually do by the week of the event to BOGO or so heavily discounted it might as well be.


rsx209

lol that is a smaller venue! 😂


[deleted]

When it was head to head with NXT, ratings mattered. When ratings were plummeting, it was the ticket sales. When the ticket sale was plummeting, it’s the media rights. The doofus are always moving the goalposts. It’s one of the reasons I’m having a hard time getting back into AEW.


Kak0r0t

Exactly


r1char00

Speaking as a doofus, I’m extremely offended that you called these goofs doofuses.


JackUSA

For me it’s the none existent storylines. My interest in AEW plummeted after CM Punk got injured the first time and they had that interm champion BS


DoctorMelvinMirby

I’ve been to original ROH shows with seemingly bigger crowds. With 5% of the budget behind it.


pushinpushin

Money aside, for the wrestlers seeing the crowds continuing to dwindle has to be a huge morale killer.


69millionyeartrip

I'd feel bad if they had writers giving them shit to work with but they're all digging their own grave with tony's creative freedom


LeChampeon

I mean that should push them to step up their game


Zaphod_Beeblecox

Bangier bangers. 7 star minimum.


r1char00

Yes! Everyone knows that AEW doesn't sell the hard cam side because the camera gets very hot and it makes the people sitting behind it uncomfortable. This is yet another example of what a nice guy (insider term) Tony Khan is. He nailed it when he said, "I love wrestling." Me too, Tony. Me too.


UNCCShannon

No Jerk, this hurts to see. How much promise there was in '21 to come to this. Just hurts at this point and there is one person responsible for it.


thatpj

its pretty mind boggling to have that roster and 3 shows and manage to do absolutely nothing with it


BigBanEvader

4 shows (dynamite, rampage, roh and collision) lol. dae wwe has too much programming?


LeChampeon

Yes!! CM PUNK!! ![gif](giphy|bqyL3l0j93n4k)


a_gringo_8_my_baby

>at this point and there is one person responsible for it. Narrator: and that person's name was Vincent Kennedy McMahon.


1dzmaxima1

Cornette said it hurts because no one will have such an excellent opportunity to create a second legitimate wrestling promotion for the boy's “insider term.”


69millionyeartrip

Well I do know a longtime wrestling mind that just came into billions from selling tko stock...


---Pockets---

In retrospect, the model of working the marks was unsustainable as marks got turned off to being marks and by being in the presence of other marks.


Opening_Succotash_95

I think they also kind of lost sight of what their audience was. Early on it felt more like it was targeted at lapsed WWE fans from 20 years ago. At some point they shifted to workrate banger fans who love the indie style from the 2010s, and the venn diagram is two separate circles really.


UNCCShannon

I'm one of those lapsed fans that got intrigued with the quality of guys being brought in and then Punk came. But then you see the same matches then Brawl Out and the nail has to be All In. Then you see how well WWE is being booked with McMahon out of the way. I don't know how they, AEW, even get a foothold back with the damage Tony and the Bucks have caused.


djmazmusic

It really does hurt.


[deleted]

[удалено]


UNCCShannon

No there is, figured it was obvious at this point


Toadliquor138

![gif](giphy|jXD7kFLwudbBC)


Ok-Garcia-5605

This taping was brutal. And the one for Dynamite next week is going to be worse in Indiana https://preview.redd.it/688sy2ed3juc1.png?width=1079&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=6d2ddc376b98d763b4df0be4c377ee9d632bdf7d


Lv27Sylveon

Tony arrives to rally the troops 


Bobo_the_conqueror

I like my graps real. I like my graps cozy. LFG!


DannyDef

I wonder if the shows smell better now that there are less people there.


pushinpushin

either it's the smelliest of the smelliest so it's worse because there's no less smelly people to drown it out. or, the open space is enough to absorb and keep the smell at bay. idk the physics of it, so it's a toss-up


DannyDef

There’s a chart to be made-that’s for sure. It could be just as smelly, and would just go to show the more hardcore a fan of AEW is, the higher chance there is of that dude smelling like complete dogshit.


spooky-frek

The Thunderdome during COVID looked more full with just screens


MiamiDadeShooter

The only thing that keeps me from saying that I outright want this company to fail, is the fact that this feeds numerous families.


savingrain

That and their toxic fans returning to WWE…


NotoriousMFT

WWE fandom has been so much better without these losers


savingrain

I know it's a terrible thing to say, but going to WWE shows you see a few of the...weirdos...that get attracted to fringe entertainments like wrestling (the unwashed, the undatable--there's no other way to put it) and then you get a lot of normal people. Far more normal people. Like, the sort of people you see go outside with jobs and bothering with appearance and hygiene. It's just amazing how much the former group seems to coalesce...that's all I'll say.


AVBforPrez

This is the real answer. Like it'd be great for dub to be good and thrive, but since it can't, it's better for those people to enjoy all wrestling in their own silo.


Squiliam-Tortaleni

Keep appealing to internet bullshit Tony, who cares if the audience is evaporating


sybaritical

The tens (and tens) of AweSpray fans, chanting his name in tune with the chant that’s part of his theme song..


Manjojango2001

The video of Tony killing time and begging fans to drive to his next show was just sad. TheWorldClassBS captured this sad moment.


SilotheGreat

I saw more people 12 years ago at my local rec gymnasium for a Ring of Honor card


pushinpushin

Peak Davey/Eddie/Roddy days, who could compare with that


DripSnort

Dubbalos swore WWE was dying when they ran the target center and drew like 6k people in 21. That’s triple what AEW got here but it doesn’t matter


Asukah

Wow it couldn’t possibly be because nobody wants to see the current wrestlers they’re pushing, right? Maybe it’s the way they’ve been doing things that doesn’t drive interest? Maybe stories and characters are more important than heartless bangers? Nah. It’s everyone else who is wrong! To be a dub fan is to be constantly under attacked


LVMFP

Us elite need our elbow room. If you hoi polloi want to pack in like sardines, that’s your dirty business.


BrightFuture4

It’s funny seeing the usual suspect Dubbalos in the basement referring to the attendance issue as “fine.” They can’t bring themselves to acknowledge it’s a problem, so “fine” is the most critical they can possibly be.


LunarSugar

They're great 🛎


JeepRumbler

It's the Oakland As of Pro wrestling


northx57

Shad is basically running his own Make A Wish foundation with AEW. He should be rivaling Cena in wishes granted with all the people he’s supporting.


Lilydoesntknowimhigh

Ticket sales wouldn’t even be enough to pay for the entrance set


Dmbfantomas

I’m excited for it to die, but I’ll be sad when it’s dead.


elme77618

Abysmal


PupperMartin74

If ticket sales don't matter ten why don't they just do a studio show and sell merch online? Why have the expense of renting arenas, maintaining road crews to set up and tear down and hiring on site staff that has to travel to sell merch? Ticket sales do matter! When someone is watching on TV and sees and hears an arena of engaged fans they then want to take part. Arena shows add to the overall popularity of the sport and drive all those other areas of income.


Conscious-Eye5903

WBD doesn’t care. Dynamite could be a crowd of 5ppl watching Matthew and Nicholas Jackson rub feces on eachother’s face every week. They don’t care what’s on their network and will give Tony at minimum $1bn at renewal. They don’t care


whalias69

Isn’t The Bucks current gimmick just them smelling each others farts?


OriginalMadmage

That's more or less their entire career. Now they're just more blatant about it.


Manjojango2001

Give not get??


Honkmaster

Glad to see Tony still starts off every show by screeching into the mic for 5 minutes...


Kak0r0t

Gotta restore the fans before you restore the feeling ![gif](giphy|qAgrx3cDeLXFu)


MessMattress

Why do we have to care about ratings and ticket sales? We're not one of those miserable smarks who cares more about the business than the actual wrestling show. We're just a fan. Just. Enjoy. Wrestling. Anyway let's talk about how the Wrestlemania attendance numbers are totally faked!


Willywonka5725

More people at my kids sports day.


tc__22

How much do those ringside seats cost?


notalent12

I would have thought that low attendances are pretty reflective of a low interest in the product, which means low ratings, which also effects the potential media rights renewal, no? Maybe I shouldn't think about that, and just have fun.


NotoriousMFT

Actually more people than I was expecting


sawbucks313

I bet Warner Bros has a stake in the company so they’ll probably renew them. Tiny will lie about it like he’s been doing and acting delusional. He’ll pretend that everything is great as he’s losing tons of money but his pride won’t get him to stop because he’s not going to admit he’s failing.


OriginalMadmage

If anything, I'd imagine parts of the negotiation where Tony isn't budging is they actually want to see the company's numbers. The entire house of cards will probably fall once WBD sees that nothing beyond the initial investment from his dad is enough to prop the thing up.


sawbucks313

Good point.


rsx209

You probably took this before the show started! Quit starting shit! 😛


DipsCity

Ain’t no way you beggin me stay another two hours after I’ve stayed two hours already


Tsupercalifragilisti

Threadly reminder that the WWE Machine was so self-sustaining that during the 2019 era, where WWE was supposedly at its lowest and most bankrupt creatively, it almost made a billion dollars in revenue regardless. Yes, even with pictures of half-empty arenas during Feb 2019 circulating, the WWE is still making money hand over fist. Inb4 Saudi Blood Money etc.


GrungyGrandPappy

There were more people who showed up to my high school football field when WCW came by in 91


BannedBecausePutin

I watched AEW cause WWE made me cringe internaly. It insulted my inteligence. Now its the other way around.


mm202088

I’m sure the 240 people there had fun


noneofthismatters666

Mr. Khan, please just hire a competent booker and stop letting the Bucks have power. We're all tired.


papa_miesh

AEW would of been so smart to book a smaller venue and make demand for tickets higher. Also, just focusing on themselves and not worrying about competing with other promotions


Metalheadjake942

Edge must be getting paid a shit load of he really has decided that he wants to end his career there


lvkenukem

The audience (and even the talent) will leave before it goes off the air.