10 Important Decisions AEW Have To Make
1. PG Or TV-14?
Vince McMahon took an interesting shot at AEW's direction alluding to this in his Q2 conference call. He suggested he wasn't sure if TNT would allow "the blood, guts, and gory thing" in their programming when October rolls around. This is a bit of a dramatization, but it does bring up an interesting point. Will AEW be PG or TV-14?
This little rating in the upper left hand corner can be a huge turning point in the company. An instant differentiator, going for a more mature product seems like the best choice. But this does leave open the possibility for more of Vince attacking their product for being unsuitable for younger audiences. This is a very interesting business decision, and one that can't be taken lightly.
If AEW does commit to going TV-14 then they will need to stick to their guns. That doesn't mean every night needs to have a Moxley spitting thumbtacks moment, but it needs to be warranted. Modern times may not allow for a recreation of the Attitude era, but they need to find a place in the same neighborhood.
They need to toe this line wisely as it can either bring in a generation of fans who don't watch anymore, or completely alienate a potential new generation from ever seeing it. Nobody wants to have their kids see what happened to Katie Vick. Or Naked Mideon. Or Head. You get the idea.