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Certain rumors regarding viewership have been surfacing about AEW recently. And wrestling veteran Eric Bischoff took it upon himself to dismiss those rumors.
Over the past few years, AEW has undergone numerous changes. One of the major ones made in recent times involved the way its content was broadcast. While Dynamite and Collision were available on TBS, these shows were also available for streaming to subscribers on HBO Max. In recent weeks, there have been reports from BJ Bethel claiming that Dynamite averages about 500,000 viewers on Max every week, leaving many fans to wonder if these reports were legit.
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Speaking on his 83 Weeks podcast, Eric Bischoff addressed these rumors, stating that BJ Bethel was neither affiliated with All Elite Wrestling nor Warner Bros. Discovery. He noted that Bethel didn't have any credible sources to back up his claims and pulled this information out of thin air.
“BJ Bethel—that’s the guy that reported it. Evidently, he’s some individual not associated with AEW, not associated with WBD, not associated with anybody. For all I know, he’s just a wrestling fan who somehow discovered information that nobody else has—including Tony, according to Tony. He claimed that there are 500,000 people watching AEW on MAX, while there’s 500,000 and change watching on TBS. It’s just a number pulled out of the air. There’s no backup to it, no receipt, no documentation, no reference, no credibility, no source. It’s just the guy saying it.”
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He further added that Tony Khan neither confirmed nor denied the reports when he was asked about it.
“Then Tony, in a press conference, says, ‘I’ve heard those reports too.’ Which means he’s not confirming it, and he’s not denying it. But he loves the attention. That’s what all this is—more Dave Meltzer-type stuff. Throwing numbers around, stating facts, planting information so people can talk about it online or in a press conference. It inflates the image a little bit, and it’s all based on freaking ether. It’s not true at all,” he added. [H/T Ringside News]
Check out his comments in the video below:
Tony Khan addressed the report during an AEW Dynasty media call
Since the report regarding the Dynamite viewership numbers on Max broke out, fans have been wanting to know if these speculations were true. These rumors even reached Tony Khan's ears.
During the recent Dynasty media call, Tony Khan acknowledged that the reports were consistent with everything he'd been hearing backstage. While he didn't know the exact numbers, he claimed that AEW was one of the top streaming sports shows on the platform.
“I thought that was a really exciting report for AEW and very consistent with everything we’ve been told,” Khan said. “While the numbers are being kept close to the vest, we’re one of the top sports streaming shows and that report was consistent with what I’ve heard.” [H/T Ringside News]
It will be interesting to see if the exact numbers for Dynamite will be revealed in the future.
