All Elite Wrestling enters 2024 with ratings and business momentum as it gears up for talks on a new TV carriage agreement.
AEW, which launched in 2019, drew 15.6 million viewers in 2023 across its three weekly television shows on Warner Bros Discovery’s TBS and TNT — AEW Dynamite, which airs Wednesdays on TBS, and Rampage and Collision, airing Fridays and Saturdays, respectively, on TNT.
With strong 2023 returns on its pay-per-view events as well as record-breaking international live gate performances, the company — led by its CEO, general manager and head of creative Tony Khan — is in position to successfully compete in a crowded pro wrestling ring led by category leader WWE.
Khan, who outside the ring serves as chief football strategy officer of the NFL’s Jacksonville Jaguars and as general manager and sporting director of soccer’s Fulham F.C. of the English Premier League, recently spoke to Multichannel News about AEW’s plans going into the new year.
MCN: Has the AEW brand met your expectations since its launch in 2019?
Tony Khan: It’s been an incredible first four-plus years for AEW. As we approach year five, we’ve accomplished so much in the world of pro wrestling and there’s still so much we can still do. We’ve expanded from two hours of weekly television to five hours; from one weekly program on Wednesdays to three weekly programs on Wednesday, Friday and Saturday. We’ve gone from being on TNT to being on both TBS and TNT every week, 52 weeks a year. We’ve expanded internationally toward Canada and did one of the biggest live gates in the history of Canada with [pay-per-view event] Forbidden Door. One of the biggest accomplishments ever in wrestling was our AEW All In event held at Wembley Stadium last summer where we sold more than 81,000 tickets. It’s the most tickets ever sold for any wrestling show in history on record and it was also a huge success on pay-per-view. So there is a lot of really awesome stuff happening and for us, it’s an exciting time. We’re approaching our media rights renewal window and that’s a massive opportunity for us for all the growth we’ve had since our launch.
MCN: As you approach media rights negotiations, is AEW considering expanding into the streaming arena somewhere down the line?
TK: We have a great library of content as we explore future distribution opportunities. Along with AEW content, I acquired Ring of Honor, which features thousands of hours of footage and trademarks. Given our library, we have an amazing opportunity to launch on a streaming platform.
MCN: What has made the AEW brand so popular for both audiences and potential distributors?
TK: We have a lot of the best wrestlers in the world in AEW, and we have a great, knowledgeable fan base that is very passionate about wrestling. There has been a great base for AEW on Wednesday night since our launch and we’ve been able to expand it into Fridays and Saturdays. Our pay-per-view business has grown over the years significantly, and the loyalty of our pay-per-view customers and the strength of that business is, in my opinion, a testament to the great connection we have with the AEW wrestling fans who are so engaged with our brand each week.
MCN: When you initially launched, the clear leader in the pro wrestling ring was the WWE. Four years later, how does the AEW brand match up with WWE?
TK: I think it’s a great time for wrestling because over the last several years, both companies have grown. AEW is a challenger brand [to the WWE], and it’s an exciting time for wrestling. When we got into the industry, I believe it was unquestionably a monopoly. I’m working very hard to grow and sustain AEW as a challenger brand, and it’s been a lot of fun putting on great wrestling every week. I think the arrival and debut of AEW has helped create a market around wrestling that has helped both of the major domestic wrestling promotions. For us at AEW, we’re really happy that we've been able to grow our business and expand our pay-per-view calendar and have such great results.
MCN: Along with wrestling, you also have business interests in the NFL and soccer. Do you have a preference for a particular sport?
TK: I love all the stuff I’m doing, but they’re different. They have great qualities and strength. I love working in wrestling; but I also love being a part of the Premier League with Fulham F.C. and the work we’ve done to get the team to where it is today. I love being a part of the NFL with the Jaguars and the great fans in Jacksonville and the turnaround the team has had over the last couple of years and being a part of it. It’s all so fun for me and they’re all very different.
