10 Things Everybody Gets Wrong About AEW
2. "AEW Is Failing"
AEW won't last, NXT is winning, the live attendances are embarrassing, ratings are plummeting; many believe that AEW is failing or is destined to fail.
Perspective renders all of this hysterical.
AEW's early, unprecedented start-up success was so considerable that it elevated expectations well beyond the projections of those who matter. TNT, per Dave Meltzer, anticipated in a best-case scenario 500,000 viewers per week for Dynamite. At time of writing, the show has invariably cleared what was a modest estimate.
The upcoming Revolution pay-per-view, for which tickets went on sale amid a tricky transition process following Full Gear, sold out almost immediately. Full Gear itself did not sell out; that is the opposite of regression. Those pictures of empty seats, and the production magic required to obscure them, is just the state of things in North America and are consistent with WWE. The upcoming Dynamite from Miami, on January 15, is very close to selling out. The rate at which ratings are in decline is worrying, but the DVR numbers are enormous. The strong base isn't going anywhere; they are simply watching Dynamite on delay. This isn't ideal. Advertisers require viewers to watch live to front the money.
But those viewers can be compelled to watch live, when things feel more vital, and AEW proved in the home stretch to Full Gear that they can hype a big show immaculately.