Can AEW compete with WWE?

The puzzle included other pieces. Complementing Cody's experience and spirit for the company, the Young Bucks (Matt and Nick Jackson brothers) were marketing geniuses, turning their vlog Being the Elite into a cult hit on YouTube and building a merchandise empire with hit t-shirts at Hot Topic. Kenny Omega was changing the thinking of professional wrestlers with his athletic and punchy performances on the ring in Japan.

At the same time last year, they were all four of the very popular Bullet Club wrestling faction in New York. Japan Pro-Wrestling and Ring of Honor. Now, they are the core – the executive vice presidents – of AEW, the first fight promotion since the death of the WCW that seems to have a chance to compete with the WWE.

"People had the kind of struggle they had, but with the WWE, that does not mean they do not like it, but it's definitely missing something." A more granular product, more violent, more sport-oriented and less insulting may exist.This is not a product intended solely for children.I know that's what we are aiming for. "

Cody Rhodes

In the fall, AEW will broadcast weekly live broadcasts on TNT, like WCW in the 1990s. The deal would apparently not include fees (unlike WWE's recent cumulative contracts with Fox and NBCUniversal, worth $ 2 billion), but Turner will badume the costs of production and generate a breakdown of advertising revenues. An AEW agreement has also been concluded with ITV, one of the largest television networks in the UK.

"It's really big," said wrestling historian Dave Meltzer, head of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter since 1983. "One thing struggling since the WCW, when the WCW stopped its activities, it really changed the whole landscape of the fight, and in a negative way.And this is the most important thing since then.Someone who goes from TV to a prime time at the top -10 stations with real talent – it's big – it's huge, that's really it. "

This is a promising start for a new promotion, but many questions remain, especially with respect to regards the elephant in the room: WWE.

Last year, WWE achieved a turnover of $ 930.2 million, the largest in its history. Despite losses reported in the first quarter of 2019, WWE has never been so healthy economically. WWE Network, the streaming service that broadcasts all of WWE's previous pay-per-view events, has more than 1.5 million paid subscribers.

However, the industry leader raises some concerns. The ratings awarded by the WWE have steadily declined, Monday Night Raw (in the US) has attracted less than 3 million viewers a week, which is one of the lowest ever recorded. SmackDown, broadcast Tuesday in the United States (before moving to Friday night on Fox in October), attracted an average of 1.827 million viewers during the week of May 15, the worst number in the series history. The SmackDown brand was down 20.5% from 2018. While cable TV ratings have generally declined, WWE ratings are falling at a faster pace on average.

How does AEW fit into the equation? Can the US television market support another major player in the fight against the popularity of the seemingly endangered WWE?

"It depends on whether the pie is growing," said Andrew Simon, CEO of AXS TV Fights, whose network has US broadcast rights to the new Japan and spreads emerging promotion of Women of Wrestling. "If it's a static cake, then there will be a problem, if the 2 million viewers who watch Raw split into AEW, it would not be a success for anyone, if they build the WWE and increase your share." 5 million, so it's a huge success. "

All In welcomed 11,263 fans at Sears Center, the largest crowd in a non-WWE wrestling event. two decades. It sold in minutes and was promoted mainly by Elite and social media, not traditional TV.

"I loved them as performers and I thought they would be great," said Khan, a longtime fight fan. who has always thought about starting a promotion. "But I did not know until I saw what they were putting together with All In as they would be the ideal people to handle this case next to me as well."

Khan, whose lead role with the Jaguars is in badysis, has seen what he calls an "undersaturation" in the wrestling market. He thought WWE did not come up against a fan base that wanted superior action in the ring without reducing the characters.

Khan believes that Cody, the Young Bucks and Omega are the nucleus that helps to draw. IT out. Coincidentally, they all became free agents – Cody, the Bucks, Adam "Hangman" Elite member page, Ring of Honor page, and Omega of New Japan, just a few months apart. Omega was the last to sign an agreement with AEW in February after the initial launch of January. Chris Jericho, a former WWE star, among other organizations, has also been named. He and Omega will head for Double or Nothing, a remake of the fight that co-starred the annual Tokyo Dome show organized by New Japan, Wrestle Kingdom 12, in 2018.

"It was probably over the past 20 years the best combination of Khan, citing the growing interest in live sports content on television and in streaming.

Khan told the four main people that he maintained the relationships and relationships at WarnerMedia, the parent company of TNT, to launch AEW on Television in prime time.Cody was not sure of that, much like he was on Khan's initial approach, but at that time He was already sold, not for money or Khan's ability to reduce the numbers, but because Khan was a true fan of professional wrestling.

"I've never had to sell someone on Tony, because this guy is walking in a pi this and begins to talk about the fight. God, "said Cody," why would not you want this guy to be part of this world? He is in love with sports; he loves entertainment. He knows a lot about it. And he has an open mind. "[19659004] The voracious that followed The Elite built through the Bullet Club, what Cody describes as a" revolution, "led AEW to sell Double or Nothing to MGM Grand Garden Arena in minutes, in the manner of All In. Sid Greenfeig, MGM's vice president for the arena, said that there would be more than 10,000 people present Saturday night and that speed with which the tickets were moved was a major success.

"I would say that this probably corresponds to an incredible map like that of Conor McGregor for UFC," Greenfeig said. at a Mayweather-type fight in Vegas. I would say it's like announcing something like, say, Taylor Swift or Justin Bieber or the Eagles or a Madonna-type show. Your talent ad A-plus. It was very pleasantly surprising. "

AEW has a lot of people in the wrestling community, but aside from Jericho, Cody, and perhaps the Bucks and Omega, there are not many familiar names for an occasional audience. that Dustin Rhodes (formerly Goldust) and Shawn Spears (formerly Tye Dillinger) have recently appeared on the WWE Player List, the most important thing is that AEW star training will have to be done on television. Khan said the promotion would be on the market for all the "established" stars of other countries that could become free agents.

Meltzer said the unanswered question is: are there any he less fight fans now than ever before and just a small, hard fan base that consumes everything?

Meltzer said that in 1995, when the WCW had created Nitro Monday for the first time against the Monday Night Raw of the WWF, people thought it would be "the death of l & # 39; industry. " Instead, both parties set an audience record, which resulted in a deep penetration of pop culture and gave birth to characters such as "Stone Cold", Steve Austin, The Rock and the New York. Six years later, the WCW was on his deathbed and the WWF was buying it for a few cents.

"The idea that [AEW] could develop the whole of commerce is not only extravagant, but when you look back when it is well done, history tells you in some way so in a war of struggle … in the beginning, the whole business grows up, "said Meltzer. "And both sides thrive, then, usually, in the end, there is a winner and a loser, it's usually a cycle of [few] years." And then, after that there is a winner and a loser, the company will collapse. "

But Khan does not want a war. Khan wants to show that they can be different and appealing to the widest possible audience.

"I do not see it at all [as a war]," Khan said. "I think we are trying to be the best wrestling company that has ever existed, and in doing so, I think there will be a lot of interest in all areas, in everyone's struggle." Obviously, WWE is a very important and very profitable company, they have a lot of fans and we do not discourage anyone to be their fan.I watched a ton of WWE in my lifetime, and I still live a lot, to be honest. "[19659004] Cody promised that AEW will fill the gaps in WWE hoping to attract new fans into what they think is a different wrestling show.

"People have had the kind of struggle they've experienced with WWE, and that does not mean they do not like it, but it's definitely missing something," Cody said. . "A more granular, more violent, more sport-oriented and less insulting product may exist – it's not a child-only product – I know that's what we're aiming for."

million. Khan said that AEW would focus on the quality of the match. He added that the fight should be considered a sport and that it will be presented this way by AEW. "It's the fight, it's not a sports entertainment," he said. he said, recalling that the WWE describes his product.

"I think our presentation is going to be very different, and you'll see that," said Khan. "When you see our shows, you'll feel like that we really care about what's going on in the ring. … [WWE has] a lot of big matches, too. There are many places to see a big fight, but we do not plan to constantly emphasize it, but I do not want to decrease the number of performers that other large companies have because there are a lot of excellent artists. in the world. "

Cody and Khan hope that AEW will not be just a financial success, but will also be a better place for wrestlers." Cody criticized WWE's "out of date" live events system, which keeps Talents on the road most of the week, some shows never being broadcast anywhere AEW will be organizing very few "home shows" for arena spectators, said Khan, and wrestlers will be able to to keep a full-time job in addition to earning a full-time salary from the fight. "Britt Baker, a member of the AEW Women's Team, is a dentist.The majority of wrestlers, apart from those working in the AEW office, will remain independent contractors, however.

"The work-life balance we propose is the best that anyone has ever offered [in wrestling]," said Khan, 19659004] Jake Hager, an independent wrestler ant who sought and obtained his release from the WWE in 2017, is optimistic about how the presence of AEW will affect the wrestlers industry. Hager, who is currently focusing on MMA with Bellator, said he felt that WWE was already paying more for its existing talent.

"One hand plays on the other," said Hager. "The competition makes everything better for everyone."