Eric Bischoff has been crucial of AEW programming over the previous 12 months. He regularly finds fault with Tony Khan’s reserving. He is not a fan of the dearth of storylines on supply. And he has questioned the corporate’s resolution to constantly rent ex-WWE expertise on a number of events.
Within the newest episode of “Clever Selections,” Bischoff took intention at AEW’s dwindling attendance numbers and TV scores.
“AEW is over-serving their hardcore viewers, utterly ignoring (the informal viewer), I don’t know that they’re ignoring them, or they simply don’t know how you can entice them,” Bischoff stated. “I feel it’s most likely extra of the latter. However they’re over-serving that hardcore viewers as a result of that’s all they know how you can do. And the remainder of the viewers has shunned them, they usually’re not even capable of maintain on to the hardcore viewers they do have.”
Bischoff’s feedback are honest. AEW’s numbers have been constantly declining for the reason that begin of the 12 months. Ticket gross sales are falling. Even long-time followers of the corporate have grown drained with the dearth of path being proven. Khan’s typical repair of signing one other big-name free agent has did not stem the bleeding.
As such, the corporate has begun to shift its processes. It is incorporating extra storylines. It is giving expertise extra promo time on TV. And it is embracing its homegrown stars. The issue is that it is also showcasing area of interest expertise from all over the world that solely probably the most hardcore followers would know. For an informal viewer, it is laborious to tune right into a weekly present when you do not know half of the expertise being despatched on the market to carry out.
AEW has at all times based mostly its programming on its core viewers. Sadly, even a few of its hardcore fanbase have begun to shun tuning right into a present that has been flat for a lot of the 12 months. Khan should discover a solution to reconnect with the informal wrestling fan and showcase the modifications which were made.
In any other case, AEW will battle to rebuild its momentum, and that is a slippery slope for the corporate to seek out itself on.
