What Tony Khan Thinks About AEW’s Ranking, CM Punk, Dynasty, Media Rights and More – Media Call Summary
During a media call held today to promote the upcoming Dynasty pay-per-view this Sunday, AEW President Tony Khan discussed various topics. Here are some highlights from the call.
Earlier in the day, Forbes ranked WWE, UFC, and AEW as the top three combat sports organizations, with AEW claiming the third spot with a $2 billion evaluation. When asked about this, Khan proudly stated that AEW is the most valuable sports startup since the AFL, which eventually merged with the NFL. He emphasized the importance of the upcoming media rights deal with Warner Bros. Discovery for the company’s growth, second only to pay-per-view expansion.
Regarding the decision to broadcast the CM Punk All In footage on Dynamite, Khan shared his thoughts:
“After reviewing the ratings, it felt like a moment of success when TBS called me and complimented our work. As someone responsible for every individual’s job in the company, it is crucial for us to satisfy the network. TBS was highly satisfied with the show and its performance, which is the ultimate measure of success for us. The fan feedback on the show, reflected in ratings, is a key indicator for both the fans and the network. The recent episode garnered 400,000 viewers in the 18 to 49 demographic, a strong performance. This is how TBS evaluates our show and it’s the most important metric for me. I believe our recent decisions have added excitement to upcoming matches, and I am thrilled about the upcoming Dynasty pay-per-view.”
When asked about the choice to stream AEW pay-per-views on multiple platforms, including TrillerTV and Youtube in addition to the usual option on Bleacher Report, Khan mentioned being unsure if this trend would continue after the upcoming three-month period. He did not comment on why Warner Bros. Discovery allowed this to happen.
At the upcoming event, the AEW Trios and Ring of Honor Six-Man Tag Team titles will be unified in a match between The Bang Bang Gang and The Acclaimed. One of the competitors in the match sustained an injury, leading to the delay in the announcement.
Discussing metrics, Khan highlighted AEW’s year-over-year growth due to the expanded PPV schedule. He revealed that the decision to release the full PPV schedule for the year was driven by new hire, Kosha Irby.
Khan expressed his expectation of making the full AEW/ROH library accessible to fans in the next media rights renewal. The negotiations with WBD are still ongoing exclusively. He mentioned that the hiring of Carlos Cabrera was suggested by Mike Mansury, who had previously collaborated with him in WWE. Khan noted that they took fan feedback into account to enhance their Spanish language presentation, and appreciated Mansury’s fluency in Spanish.