Chris Jericho Explains Why AEW Is Successful Despite Move To Small Arenas

Through much of 2024, AEW struggled with ticket sales, and many of their shows took place in large arenas that weren't even close to being half full. To combat this, the company has started using smaller venues, such as the Hammerstein Ballroom in New York, The Andrew J Brady Music Center in Cincinnati, and the Knoxville Civic Coliseum in Knoxville. 

ROH World Champion Chris Jericho feels that this decision has worked wonders as it has produced hotter crowds due to the intimate atmosphere.

"I think we've done a good job reconfiguring the buildings the last few weeks," Jericho said in a recent interview with "TV Insider." "I feel the crowds have been much hotter in these smaller buildings. I mean, listen, I don't think it matters how big the venue is. It matters how hot the crowd is. We saw the Hammerstein Ballroom had an amazing look. A great energy. The same thing happened the last few weeks in Charlotte and Athens, Georgia. There is so much importance on television revenue in this day and age with AEW getting its new deal with Warner Brothers Discovery."

Given the tribalistic nature of some fans, AEW's decision to move to smaller venues for their weekly TV shows led to some people claiming that AEW was failing and the company would go out of business. Jericho refuted that and hit back at critics by claiming that AEW is in fine condition. 

"That's nothing but pure success and pure profit. There might be some naysayers that may want to predict the doom of AEW because of smaller buildings, but it's smart business. I think the product is much hotter now because the crowds are hotter," he added.

While shows like "AEW Dynamite" and "AEW Collision" have moved to smaller buildings, that may not happen for pay-per-views. AEW Revolution will take place at the Crypto.com Arena [formerly known as the Staples Center], and All In Texas is shaping up to be the biggest North American show in AEW's history. At the time of writing, over 11,000 tickets have been distributed, and while that is a far cry from the 81,035 tickets sold for All In London in 2023, Jericho feels crossing the 10,000 mark with seven months to go until All In Texas is nothing to be ashamed of.

"It's all indicative. We're excited to go to Australia for the show there. We're excited for Texas in July [for All In], which is seven months away. There are people saying, 'Well, they only sold 10,000 tickets.' Yeah, it's seven months away. We're going to have 25,000 people in that place," said Jericho. "People buy tickets during the last week nowadays. Trust me, I know from Fozzy. I think there are a lot of positives. I think our wrestling is the best in the business. I think our roster is the best in the business. There are other things we can work on, but that's any company. I'm very happy and proud of where we are right now as a company."

Even though there are still seven months to go for the show that will be held on July 12, the event has already surpassed the $1 million mark at the gate. If everything goes according to plan, All In Texas will set a new AEW record for money generated at the gate for an event set in North America.