Official WWE/ECW/WCW/TNA talk, or whatever v2

[trackercowe]

Ouch 502,000 viewers for Dynamite! How is that even possible when they weren't up against the NBA or NHL finals? Maybe WWE played interference with the numbers again. Those kind of numbers just don't add up... That's a record low.

[SuperMatt18]

That does seem weird...wonder if those aren't official yet

[CaptainCrunch]

Originally Posted by SuperMatt18

That does seem weird...wonder if those aren't official yet

That was the question but the numbers have been confirmed. I didn't watch the episode, but looking at the build up, there didn't seem to be any thing that would make viewers turn in.



And it was what a 200k drop from the week before. Clearly something is not resonated with even their hard core 700k fans.

[Ozy_Flame]

Pack it in, they're toast.

[SuperMatt18]

I haven't watched dynamite as much lately and I was trying to think about what has turned me off from the product a bit:

• ⁠Failed pushes...I wanted to get behind guys like Wardlow, Take####a, Daniel Garcia, and Ricky Starks getting pushes...and they would get hot...only to then just dissappear into the roster bloat

• The introduction of the trios titles killed the Tag division and it was one of the best parts of their product at one stage

• Everything ROH, they needed to scrap that whole thing at least 12 months ago now

- As weird as it seems signing so much of the NJPW talent has potentially hurt the product...seeing guys like Okada and Ospreay randomly appear made it feel special
And gave you reason to tune in because it felt different or like something that shouldn't happen...now they are just another guy in a roster that's too big.

And that last point is the biggest to me...somehow AEW has made their entire roster feel like "just another guy". Nobody feels special or like they truly stand above the rest of the roster


And in kind of a random time for the debut the WWE debuted Jacob Fatu tonight...

[Ozy_Flame]

Yay, more Samoans.

[Buff]

AEW production is terrible. I am now a very casual fan. I remember tuning into AWA in the 80s and thinking "This is cool, I want to get more of this" and AWA was close to folding.

I tune into WWE now and I see how well done the show is. There is excitement, even if I have no clue who the performers are or why this one is mad at that one. The AEW atmosphere has felt dead. I tune in and see a name I'm familiar with but feel like I stumbled upon a snooze fest and quickly change channels.

There is a night and day difference between AEW now and when they started up before COVID. They had early success and didn't know how to sustain it.

[mile]

Apparently The Big Bang Theory didn't air in its usual time slot before Dynamite that night, they were airing Black Panther instead

The idea that a good portion of the usual audience might actually be Big Bang Theory fans who fell asleep with the TV on... lol

The real draw of AEW

[Blaster86]

The BBT as AEW's top TV ratings draw has been known for a long time.

It's hard to decide if that it is concerning that their actual number is not in the 7s or 8s but the 5s or 6s.

It is particularly concerning if a majority of their demo number is coming from the BBT lead in though. I don't think anyone expected that.

[trackercowe]

Loving the booking of Punk/Drew. Who knew Punk would be a bigger draw while he's injured! The crowd heat in that first segment nearly took the roof off.

[CaptainCrunch]

Originally Posted by Blaster86

The BBT as AEW's top TV ratings draw has been known for a long time.

It's hard to decide if that it is concerning that their actual number is not in the 7s or 8s but the 5s or 6s.

It is particularly concerning if a majority of their demo number is coming from the BBT lead in though. I don't think anyone expected that.

It should be concerning for AEW and Tony That this is a company that at its height was brining in close to a million people, and they've been steadily dropping since then, and their attendance for live events isn't exactly great.


On of the things that fascinating, is that unlike AWA, WCW and ECW where money concerns eventually ended them, AEW has a ton of money with Tony. But at some point, he's got to start treating this thing like a business and actually making tough decisions.



Wrestling needs competition, we saw what happened when a company like WWE doesn't have it for example, and it needs thriving serious competition.

[Ozy_Flame]

She done. Put a knife in her. WWE is too strong, too big, too awesome, and too pervasive. Not even TNA will survive on their own, what with WWE basically about to poach all of their top talent.

Maybe Tony can get a slot for ROH on Sunday Nights at 11 PM, and perhaps an extra half hour afterwards to replay old tapes from the library.

[trackercowe]

The sad thing is that it was actually a good Dynamite.... More Ospreay/Strickland and less Jericho.

[Maritime Q-Scout]

The thing is, AEW shouldn't be trying to compete with WWE.

AEW should be trying to improve upon itself. Work on building their own fanbase; work on getting butts in seats; work on putting together good shows.

Let it grow that way.

Your local indy promotion also doesn't compete with WWE, yet the profitable ones still make a profit and draw crowds. How's that? Oh by doing the little things right, and focusing on itself.

The promotion I work with, has it's own little piece of the pie, it's own little territory. They don't worry about what any other indy promotion is doing. The owner puts on shows that he wants to see, and gives the talent the ability to do they work they want to do.

They get 500ish people a show. 700ish if a "big" name comes in (and by big name, a mid-carder from WWE from like 10-20 years ago). And that's 500ish for local talent. There was a focus on plugging wrestlers merchandise, and as a result the wrestlers make a ton of extra coin, which makes them really happy. When newbies come in, they're told "make sure you have plenty of merch, if you run out, they'll buy the shirt off your back!"

Little things like that keep people both performers and fans coming back.

Tony seems to be running a poor indy promotion where "names" will draw. Names will sell some tickets, but it's the show that makes people come back.

WWE understands this. WWE realizes that they make the talent bigger. AEW things the talent puts them over the top.

The focus is completely wrong.

[TheIronMaiden]

Originally Posted by Ozy_Flame

She done. Put a knife in her. WWE is too strong, too big, too awesome, and too pervasive. Not even TNA will survive on their own, what with WWE basically about to poach all of their top talent.

Maybe Tony can get a slot for ROH on Sunday Nights at 11 PM, and perhaps an extra half hour afterwards to replay old tapes from the library.

I don't think that AEW's declining popularity has anything to do with WWE.

[Blaster86]

I think you missed how heavily embedded his tongue was in his cheek there.