AEW Vs. WWE: Head To Head

3. Accessibility

WWE Network
WWE

Weirdly, since AEW burst into life as a legitimate mainstream entity, its pre-PPV hype is splintered across several YouTube channels: the official channel, Being The Elite, and the Nightmare Family channel managed by Cody. It is confusing, but isn’t in dire need of consolidation ahead of the big, imminent TV deals, which will render each secondary—or indeed superfluous.

This approach hasn’t affected the company’s remarkable impression on a large, receptive audience—but the differing pricing structure of its pay-per-view offerings has created grumblings in the UK, the fans in which were made to pay for Fyter Fest and Fight For The Fallen via FiteTV. Both shows were available to watch for free in the US via Bleacher Report Live. Gauging by the social media response, many were confused over how to watch the show at all, before balking at the requirement to pay.

This likely won’t matter, once the TV show is in effect. If anything, the narrative might shift; Double or Nothing was cheaper in the UK than in the US. This didn’t much threaten WWE’s popularity—this was the case for PPV in the pre-Network days—but the poor communication didn’t help build trust in the brand.

The WWE Network, abysmal search function aside, is a near-enough universally-priced bargain.

SCORECARD: AEW 4-3 WWE

Contributor
Contributor

Michael Sidgwick is an editor, writer and podcaster for WhatCulture Wrestling. With over seven years of experience in wrestling analysis, Michael was published in the influential institution that was Power Slam magazine, and specialises in providing insights into All Elite Wrestling - so much so that he wrote a book about the subject. You can order Becoming All Elite: The Rise Of AEW on Amazon. Possessing a deep knowledge also of WWE, WCW, ECW and New Japan Pro Wrestling, Michael’s work has been publicly praised by former AEW World Champions Kenny Omega and MJF, and current Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes. When he isn’t putting your finger on why things are the way they are in the endlessly fascinating world of professional wrestling, Michael wraps his own around a hand grinder to explore the world of specialty coffee. Follow Michael on X (formerly known as Twitter) @MSidgwick for more!