Eric Bischoff has been critical of AEW programming over the past year. He continually finds fault with Tony Khan’s booking. He isn’t a fan of the lack of storylines on offer. And he has questioned the company’s decision to consistently hire ex-WWE talent on multiple occasions.
In the latest episode of “Wise Choices,” Bischoff took aim at AEW’s dwindling attendance numbers and TV ratings.
“AEW is over-serving their hardcore audience, completely ignoring (the casual viewer), I don’t know that they’re ignoring them, or they just don’t know how to attract them,” Bischoff said. “I think it’s probably more of the latter. But they’re over-serving that hardcore audience because that’s all they know how to do. And the rest of the audience has shunned them, and they’re not even able to hold on to the hardcore audience they do have.”
Bischoff’s comments are fair. AEW’s numbers have been consistently declining since the start of the year. Ticket sales are falling. Even long-time fans of the company have grown tired with the lack of direction being shown. Khan’s usual fix of signing another big-name free agent has failed to stem the bleeding.
As such, the company has begun to shift its processes. It’s incorporating more storylines. It’s giving talent more promo time on TV. And it’s embracing its homegrown stars. The problem is that it’s also showcasing niche talent from around the world that only the most hardcore fans would know. For a casual viewer, it’s hard to tune into a weekly show when you don’t know half of the talent being sent out there to perform.
AEW has always based its programming on its core audience. Unfortunately, even some of its hardcore fanbase have begun to shun tuning into a show that has been flat for most of the year. Khan must find a way to reconnect with the casual wrestling fan and showcase the changes that have been made.
Otherwise, AEW will struggle to rebuild its momentum, and that’s a slippery slope for the company to find itself on.