AEW has been struggling to grow its audience for a long time. Dynamite currently has between 800,000 and 850,000 viewers, while Rampage and Collision have under 500,000 viewers.
All three shows will be broadcast on Warner Bros. Discovery channels through the end of next year. They are currently negotiating to renew the deal. Meanwhile, TKO executives have discussed with WBD officials a potential television deal for WWE RAW.
During the AEW Worlds End media call, Tony Khan was asked about declining viewership for AEW shows year-over-year. Khan compared RAW and Dynamite’s viewership and said that the viewership of both shows decreased in the fourth quarter.
“You say RAW is down 8% and Dynamite’s down 10%. That’s very similar, and both of those are ahead of the decline in cable television. Cable television is down a lot more than 10% year-over-year. And both of us, RAW is down 8% and Dynamite down 10%, are beating the hell out of gravity. And both of us are looking at a big pay raise this year, for Dynamite and RAW. And RAW having made $265 million a year last year, for them to get a pay raise, that’s gonna be a really big number for them. And for us, it’s a lot of money too.
Both shows are probably due for a big rights fee increase, and frankly percentage-wise, especially Dynamite because of where we started and how we performed. I think that both shows have done really well to, frankly defy gravity, and stay ahead of the drop, which as I understand is closer to 20%.”