"This company’s not driving revenue" - AEW is in real danger of losing its TV deal soon, according to WWE legend

A former WWE veteran has just made a bold claim about AEW, following their declining numbers. They mentioned how the company was not driving revenue and was at risk of losing its TV deal.

The promotion is currently under contract with Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD). This is reportedly scheduled to run until the end of 2027. However, they have found themselves in a bit of a pickle with consistently declining ratings and viewership. While there have not been any drastic drops as of late, they have now been stagnant with lackluster figures weekly.

On a recent edition of his 83 Weeks podcast, Eric Bischoff claimed that if he were in AEW's position now, he would be working hard to find a Plan B. This comes after rumors surfaced regarding WBD potentially being acquired by another major company. The reported list of contenders includes some who are partnered with WWE.

“I would be working so desperately hard on a Plan B right now. It would make people around me crazy... Now they’re at the point where not only do you have, you know, renegotiation staring you down… you’ve got a possible acquisition of your network and you’ve got to have a Plan B.”

He continued by mentioning how, as it stands, the promotion is no longer driving revenue and how it could no longer be a return on investment for Turner Broadcasting.

“Dynamite Prime Time, you’re looking at 400-500,000 viewers… That’s a participation trophy comment. You’re either driving revenue or you’re not... This company’s not driving revenue… It’s not possible for them to drive enough revenue to be a return on investment for Turner Broadcasting.” [H/T RSN]

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Eric Bischoff made a bold claim about AEW's future situation

Back in September, the veteran mentioned that after punching the numbers, he had a belief that the Tony Khan-led promotion's figures would continue to dip as time passed.

He claimed that last year he guessed that they would be floating around 400,000 viewers, and for the most part, this has been accurate. Bischoff believed that a year from now, this would dip another 100,000.

"And I did the math and thought, ‘Oh, this is where they are now. This is where they’ll be a year from now. This is where they’ll be three years from now, unless they reverse the 20 percent average attrition per year.’ I project that by the end of their existing contract, they’d be hovering around 300,000 viewers. Back in November, on November 14, 2024, I said a year from now AEW would be hovering around 500,000 viewers–and I was absolutely right.” [H/T - Ringside News]

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Eric Bischoff believes that TNA can surpass AEW to become the #2 promotion within the next year if they can get the right TV deal. (via @arielhelwani)

AEW has been able to hold its own and continue to do what they do despite these declining figures. With all the uncertainty regarding their future on TV, it remains to be seen what countermeasures they may have, and whether they are indeed looking for a Plan B, like Eric Bischoff has advised them to.