AEW President Tony Khan is not shy about his ambitions for the promotion and often crows about its successes after they have come to fruition. Just recently, Khan made the bold decision of booking Wembley Stadium, which can host more than 80,000 pro wrestling fans, as the location for the second-ever AEW: All In event. While many were skeptical that the young company would be able to fill such a massive space, by the day of the show, they had sold 81,035 for the event, the most paid tickets ever for a pro wrestling event.
Earlier today on The Mat Men Podcast, Andrew Zarian reported that Khan may once again be making big moves with his pro wrestling company, as Max, Warner Brothers Discovery’s streaming platform, will become the new home for their content in 2024. Haus of Wrestling reached out to Zarian to clarify whether that meant their shows would air live on Max or if it would just be replays available. We were told that it would just be archived versions of Dynamite, Collision, and Rampage, but the PPVs would be streamed live.
Furthermore, Zarian predicts that AEW will be expanding its PPV schedule to twelve big events per year, closer to a WWE-styled premium live events calendar. Until now, AEW has averaged four or five PPVs per year and is currently scheduled to present seven in 2023. Zarian did not mention Ring of Honor in any capacity in his reporting.
AEW’s next PPV will be WrestleDream on October 1 from the Climate Pledge Arena in Seattle, WA. The event is being held in honor of legendary pro wrestler Antonio Inoki. Already announced for the show is Blackpool Combat Club’s “The American Dragon” Bryan Danielson taking on NJPW star Zack Sabre Jr., and The Elite’s “Hangman” Adam Page battling Mogul Embassy’s Swerve Strickland. While not confirmed to air on PPV, it appears it will unless Warner Brothers Discovery decides to start streaming AEW events on Max earlier than expected.