Eric Bischoff Discusses AEW's PPV Prospects

AEW has undergone some major changes in 2023, from the departure of CM Punk to the addition of "AEW Collision." Another of those big alterations is the addition of extra pay-per-views, with new shows like AEW WrestleDream and the upcoming AEW Worlds End added to the calendar. During a recent episode of "83 Weeks," Eric Bischoff shared his take on how this will affect the company's business.

"I don't think they're going to be able to hold onto 100% of the pay-per-view audience that they've able to rely upon," Bischoff said. "It starts to get a little expensive, and there are probably price points or thresholds that people are willing to get close to but not exceed."

Bischoff predicted the company's PPV buy rate would drop by 15-25% over the next year. However, that drop will likely be offset by the additional amount of PPVs, with Bischoff believing that the company's overall profits will rise — in the short term, at least. The former WCW executive does not have high hopes for the PPV format in the years ahead.

"I think it's like linear television," Bischoff continued. "It's not dead, but it's dying a little more every day."

The podcast host then expressed his surprise that AEW hadn't already signed a deal with Warner Bros. Discovery to air the promotion's content on Max, WBD's streaming platform. With the company's current media rights agreement expiring in 2024, streaming could be a big part of AEW's next deal, as previously hinted by CEO Tony Khan.

Later in the show, Bischoff continued discussing Khan's decision to run extra PPVs, with co-host Conrad Thompson pointing out that AEW ran two major events within a week of each other earlier this year — AEW All In and AEW All Out. Despite the increasing amount of content coming out of AEW, Bischoff thinks that format can work for the company's specific style of wrestling.

"I think it's great for AEW," Bischoff said. "Because they're not driven by storylines anyway. They're driven by matchups and the action in the ring — not by the story that supports it."

Bischoff said that the promotion's hardcore fans will have no problem tuning in twice within a week. However, he doesn't feel that the promotion will be able to draw in any extra fans by holding two major events that close together. Bischoff has long stated that AEW will have a hard time growing with its current format, and the former wrestling executive's opinion doesn't seem to have changed in 2023.

While Khan has openly admitted that the promotion is going to continue adding PPVs to the AEW lineup, he declined to go as far as confirming a monthly schedule. AEW Worlds End is set to take place this Saturday, December 30, 2023. After that, the company's next announced PPV is AEW Revolution, scheduled for March 3, 2024.