All Elite Wrestling founder Tony Khan has heard the gossip that his promotion isn’t selling tickets and he hitting right back and claims they’re actually doing a great job.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T6OA48_mCHM?start=2160&feature=oembed&w=200&h=113]
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Khan recently spoke at the AEW Worlds End post-show media scrum alongside tag team FTR and a triumphantly returned Adam Copeland and firmly pushed back against discussion that the promotion was not selling out venues as of late.
“Last year, we made a lot of history going to Wembley Stadium,” Khan said. “We sold 81,035 tickets. Over 81,000 tickets sold — we set the world record for tickets sold — and even then people tried to poke holes in what we did last year…allegedly people said 73,000, but we sold 81,000.”
The AEW boss seems to be referring to the All In event back in August, which was held at Wembley Stadium in London. Reportedly, the pay-per-view broke attendance records for a professional wrestling event, although it is unclear how that record was tracked or verified.
AEW announces the attendance for #AEWAllIn tonight, 81,035.
“A new worldwide record for a pro wrestling event.”
Pro-wrestling. pic.twitter.com/UbW600SrWr
— Wrestle Ops (@WrestleOps)
August 27, 2023
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Khan continued and referenced the massive new deal that AEW has signed with Warner Bros. Discovery.
“But the fact that people would even try to hold up 73,000, even if it was that, like it would be a bad thing,” Khan said. “That’s amazing, what an amazing achievement. Then this year to make a historic media rights deal which really sets the stage for…all the great things that are going to be coming.”
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – FEBRUARY 08: Tony Khan speaks on SiriusXM at Super Bowl LVIII on February 08, 2024 in Las Vegas, Nevada.
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – FEBRUARY 08: Tony Khan speaks on SiriusXM at Super Bowl LVIII on February 08, 2024 in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Cindy Ord/Getty Images for SiriusXM
The AEW founder is referring to the recent deal he made with WBD to stream wrestling events on the Max platform.
AEW’s flagship shows, Dynamite and Collision, will remain on TBS and TNT under a new agreement, with both programs also being simulcast on Max. Beginning in late 2025, AEW pay-per-view events will be available for purchase via Max.
The deal, which is valued at around $185 million per year, marks a significant partnership for the promotion.
Arguably, this WBD deal is AEW’s big swipe against WWE, its biggest rival in pro wrestling. WWE has inked a deal with Netflix, the world’s most popular streaming platform, to show Raw and several new wrestling shows; AEW could hardly sit idly by and not sign its own deal with a streamer.
But according to Khan, ticket sales are fine too.
For more on AEW and pro wrestling, head to Newsweek Sports.
Tony Khan Dismisses Claims That AEW Is Struggling To Sell Tickets
