8 AEW Nightmares That Could Come True In 2026
2. Domestic Attendances Continue To Tumble
A quick look at the WrestleTix page on X reveals that tapings for Dynamite and Collision struggle to sell consistently. The WrestleTix folks could copy and paste some of those posts and nobody would really notice, because this seems to be a persistent issue with AEW. Tony Khan has tried to mitigate this by booking smaller buildings and taking up residencies at venues like the old ECW Arena, but some of the crowds are worryingly sparse.
International jaunts to places like the UK and some of the bigger pay-per-views in the US do play before larger groups that look great on camera, but the week to week television often sounds like it’s taking place in a local swimming baths. You know that noise - the echoey din of not a lot of people reverberating through the halls. It hardly makes AEW look big time or like the place to be.
At times, especially during those shows at the ECW/2300 Arena, Dynamite and Collision resembled one of the independent products from WWE Network around 5 years ago. ICW, wXw and more all had tiny budgets stretched to the max, and they made the most of them. AEW has a bottomless pit of money but still looks low rent on occasion. It's unacceptable.
Plus, the endless churn of "dream matches" just doesn't cut it anymore. The 'daily life is expensive' excuse doesn't work either. It is pricey, but WWE tickets have never been more expensive and people still find ways to attend their events. Unfortunately, AEW crowds have dwindled for the weeklies, and they may never return.
There's no sign this will change heading into the new year.