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Post by Mister Pigwell on Feb 23, 2019 19:38:16 GMT -5
They only way I see AEW even mattering more than your average super Indy without TV is if they get a hefty Netflix/Hulu push to put up an episode a week. But even then that's not as big as TV. Not even close. Does Netflix do weekly shows? Every show iw atch is season dump Yes they've dabbled with weekly update stuff before. Also some shows like Better Call Saul gets updated weekly for the UK after it airs.
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Post by THE FVNKER on Feb 23, 2019 19:52:51 GMT -5
Yeah, without a major TV deal AEW would basically be ROH on a bigger budget. But, I'm sure Cody is just talking. I mean, Jericho and several other people have mentioned very huge deals. Who knows.
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Post by kingoftheindies on Feb 23, 2019 20:49:18 GMT -5
Based on how everybody talks I think TV is pretty much a done deal and they're just stretching it out
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Post by Prince Petty on Feb 23, 2019 23:24:37 GMT -5
Maybe a TV deal right now isn't necessary, because they can run some shows and establish an identity. They can demonstrate organisational competence and creative flair, which would impress any prospective TV networks.
I imagine that's what Cody means.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Feb 24, 2019 7:58:29 GMT -5
If they don’t get on television then they won’t mean much more than Lucha Underground. They have some big money behind them too. Sure, they’ll get a lot of buzz for a year or two but then they’ll just be another promotion like MLW floating around out there. You don’t pick up casual viewers unless you can reach them. Internet wrestling attracts the same old internet fans. It kind of reminds me of local promotions advertising their local indie show on the internet and wondering why the same fifty fans showed up when they could’ve put posters up all over town and drawn a hundred more. You need casual fans and curious people that would check out your product and possibly become a regular viewer. That doesn’t happen unless they know about your product and it’s easily accessible to them. I disagree. Time will tell how many shows they'll sell out, but the bottom line is they're selling 15,000+ tickets for individual shows, so they're a completely different entity than something like MLW that is "just floating around out there." Times change, and in 2019 you don't need to be on traditional television to run a successful wrestling business. They don't have a TV deal yet, yet they're selling 15,000 tickets. That's proof. The only question is how long that success lasts, if they do a full schedule. Their "TV" can be Netflix or YouTube, and they can still be very successful. Five or ten years ago, "internet wrestling fans" was a small group. In 2019, everyone has the internet in their hands everyday on their phone. "Internet wrestling fans" is all of the wrestling fans now. As long as they do it right, they can bring their video product to everybody, even without regular TV. Yeah, there are indies that expect putting show info on their Twitter account with 1,000 followers will lead to big crowds, and they're fools for expecting that. But that isn't the case with AEW. They have a bigger following. They're posting YouTube videos and drawing 15,000+. All of that said, it looks like they will be on traditional TV anyway. But I don't think it's necessary.
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Post by The 1Watcher Experience on Feb 24, 2019 8:54:23 GMT -5
If they don’t get on television then they won’t mean much more than Lucha Underground. They have some big money behind them too. Sure, they’ll get a lot of buzz for a year or two but then they’ll just be another promotion like MLW floating around out there. You don’t pick up casual viewers unless you can reach them. Internet wrestling attracts the same old internet fans. It kind of reminds me of local promotions advertising their local indie show on the internet and wondering why the same fifty fans showed up when they could’ve put posters up all over town and drawn a hundred more. You need casual fans and curious people that would check out your product and possibly become a regular viewer. That doesn’t happen unless they know about your product and it’s easily accessible to them. I disagree. Time will tell how many shows they'll sell out, but the bottom line is they're selling 15,000+ tickets for individual shows, so they're a completely different entity than something like MLW that is "just floating around out there." Times change, and in 2019 you don't need to be on traditional television to run a successful wrestling business. They don't have a TV deal yet, yet they're selling 15,000 tickets. That's proof. The only question is how long that success lasts, if they do a full schedule. Their "TV" can be Netflix or YouTube, and they can still be very successful. Five or ten years ago, "internet wrestling fans" was a small group. In 2019, everyone has the internet in their hands everyday on their phone. "Internet wrestling fans" is all of the wrestling fans now. As long as they do it right, they can bring their video product to everybody, even without regular TV. Yeah, there are indies that expect putting show info on their Twitter account with 1,000 followers will lead to big crowds, and they're fools for expecting that. But that isn't the case with AEW. They have a bigger following. They're posting YouTube videos and drawing 15,000+. All of that said, it looks like they will be on traditional TV anyway. But I don't think it's necessary. They haven’t even run a show yet. We don’t even know how the product will even be presented. If they don’t have good writing or enough creativity with their storylines they won’t go too far. They need to feel addictive. Their fans will need to want more. They can’t compete without television. They have buzz right now because fans want to be a part of something special but that’s not going to last. Without television to reach a casual audience there won’t be any growth for them. You can’t complete without that either. Internet wrestling fans are not all the wrestling fans now. There are plenty of fans that don’t care as much about wrestling anymore. They’re not going to go out of their way to watch everything. There are too many alternatives. Not even in just wrestling but in entertainment in general. Raw and Smackdown are so monotonous and boring yet people watch because television makes it convenient. AEW starts to fade out in a year or two without it.
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Post by cabbageboy on Feb 24, 2019 10:33:06 GMT -5
I think if AEW doesn't have a major TV announcement at the May PPV then that's a scary sign. If they don't have TV at any point this year then I don't see this lasting. Tony Khan might be willing to waste a bunch of money on this project but I dunno if his dad would do it.
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Post by KofiMania on Feb 24, 2019 10:52:11 GMT -5
If they don’t get on television then they won’t mean much more than Lucha Underground. They have some big money behind them too. Sure, they’ll get a lot of buzz for a year or two but then they’ll just be another promotion like MLW floating around out there. You don’t pick up casual viewers unless you can reach them. Internet wrestling attracts the same old internet fans. It kind of reminds me of local promotions advertising their local indie show on the internet and wondering why the same fifty fans showed up when they could’ve put posters up all over town and drawn a hundred more. You need casual fans and curious people that would check out your product and possibly become a regular viewer. That doesn’t happen unless they know about your product and it’s easily accessible to them. I disagree. Time will tell how many shows they'll sell out, but the bottom line is they're selling 15,000+ tickets for individual shows, so they're a completely different entity than something like MLW that is "just floating around out there." Times change, and in 2019 you don't need to be on traditional television to run a successful wrestling business. They don't have a TV deal yet, yet they're selling 15,000 tickets. That's proof. The only question is how long that success lasts, if they do a full schedule. Their "TV" can be Netflix or YouTube, and they can still be very successful. Five or ten years ago, "internet wrestling fans" was a small group. In 2019, everyone has the internet in their hands everyday on their phone. "Internet wrestling fans" is all of the wrestling fans now. As long as they do it right, they can bring their video product to everybody, even without regular TV. Yeah, there are indies that expect putting show info on their Twitter account with 1,000 followers will lead to big crowds, and they're fools for expecting that. But that isn't the case with AEW. They have a bigger following. They're posting YouTube videos and drawing 15,000+. All of that said, it looks like they will be on traditional TV anyway. But I don't think it's necessary. Internet wrestling fans does not mean every wrestling fan with Internet. There are tons of WWE fans that just watch the show and do not go online and read about the happenings backstage and the happenings in other promotions, and would have no idea what AEW is.
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markymark
Bill S. Preston, Esq.
Posts: 18,394
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Post by markymark on Feb 24, 2019 11:06:01 GMT -5
Even Bischoff said TV will be obsolete in the next 5 years.
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Post by KofiMania on Feb 24, 2019 11:12:41 GMT -5
Even Bischoff said TV will be obsolete in the next 5 years. Doubt it.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Feb 24, 2019 11:16:29 GMT -5
I think it's possible to succeed without TV, there's just no precedent for a wrestling company with the scope that AEW are going for to succeed without TV. I don't know if AEW as it is right now could convince an internet content provider to pay them enough to sustain competitive WWE contracts without having a track record first. AEW are hot right now and sell out arenas when they book them, but I think things as they are right now, TV is a necessity for them to establish themselves and show that they can keep an audience, I think it's easier to convince a TV company to invest in them because you see what WWE's pulling off right now. I think it would be easier to go to a Netflix or Amazon after they've established positive results on TV and there's a better idea of what they offer.
I have to imagine they have a plan in place already. I can't see them embarking on this whole thing without having some good options. It would be really bad if they're having Kenny go on that "you're nothing but a T-shirt company" rant on BTE if they don't actually know where they're going.
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Post by Yamashita Enforcement Division on Feb 24, 2019 12:32:54 GMT -5
I mean, any and all talk now just feels like Cody trying to stem the tide of people who are expecting it to be a finished and ready product when it hasn't even officially existed for 90 days. They probably won't have a TV deal by Double or Nothing, but they should have another show or two ready to go by then, and that is enough if they put on a show the quality of All In or greater. Getting to their TV should be a goal, but it isn't one that can be built in a day. And people have been clamoring for their TV deal to be announced since the company was eight days old, on this very forum even, so it makes sense to walk back on whether there even will be TV, since people have been assuming it done and dusted since the promotion's announcement.
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Deleted
Deleted Member
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Post by Deleted on Feb 24, 2019 12:42:46 GMT -5
People are overreacting to these comments. WGN aired the All In pre show with absolutely no product to show them beforehand. There wasn't even an actual promotion at that point, and they still got on tv.
Do you guys really think that the same people, less than a year later, now with millions in financial backing, are not going to wind up on any tv channel whatsoever? Even Impact still has a tv show. There are local indies with tv deals. ROH is on tv and their weekly show is terrible. New Japan has a series on American tv that is just replays of older matches most fans probably already saw on NJPW World.
Everything is fine, and I'm sure we'll see AEW on tv.
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cjh
Hank Scorpio
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Post by cjh on Feb 24, 2019 13:07:48 GMT -5
People are overreacting to these comments. WGN aired the All In pre show with absolutely no product to show them beforehand. There wasn't even an actual promotion at that point, and they still got on tv. Do you guys really think that the same people, less than a year later, now with millions in financial backing, are not going to wind up on any tv channel whatsoever? Even Impact still has a tv show. There are local indies with tv deals. ROH is on tv and their weekly show is terrible. New Japan has a series on American tv that is just replays of older matches most fans probably already saw on NJPW World. Everything is fine, and I'm sure we'll see AEW on tv. I don't think anyone is saying Cody's comments are a sign AEW will have literally no TV presence. They mean it's not a good sign for a great, second-only-to-WWE TV deal if he's publicly downplaying the importance of having a traditional TV deal. If AEW gets a deal on the level of what ROH and Impact have, that's not a game changer in any way.
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Post by RedSmile on Feb 24, 2019 13:34:11 GMT -5
This sounds like posturing on Cody's part.
AEW wants a good TV deal, but they'll be willing to stay off of TV, and make it work, if they don't get one. I have no idea if they have any leverage with that stance, but if networks are throwing stupid money at Vince for a product with dwindling ratings, I don't see why not.
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Post by The Trashman on Feb 24, 2019 14:48:59 GMT -5
Even Bischoff said TV will be obsolete in the next 5 years. And he has never been wrong about anything..
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Post by Mister Pigwell on Feb 24, 2019 14:51:30 GMT -5
Even Bischoff said TV will be obsolete in the next 5 years. AEW isn't starting up 5 years from now.
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Post by RedSmile on Feb 24, 2019 15:02:48 GMT -5
Even Bischoff said TV will be obsolete in the next 5 years. Doubt it. Especially when it comes to live sports. That's probably the biggest thing keeping TV relevant/preventing cord cutting.
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Post by A Platypus Rave on Feb 24, 2019 15:23:11 GMT -5
Even Bischoff said TV will be obsolete in the next 5 years. And he has never been wrong about anything.. TV is absolutely changing and companies are trying to course correct like mad... due to cord cutting and Netflix and the like. so I could see the landscape of Television being WAY different in 5 years... That said... that's irrelevant for two reasons. First, Live Sports (and entertainment) are the few things TV still has. SEcondly, and this is important, AEW isn't debuting in 5 years.
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Shark
Hank Scorpio
The world's only Samurai Ninja Pirate
Posts: 7,045
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Post by Shark on Feb 24, 2019 17:59:12 GMT -5
This sounds a lot like when Bischoff was in Impact and he said the traditional PPV model was dead and thusly, they treated PPVs like they were meaningless. It's trying to sugarcoat the less than enviable situation.
Yes, streaming TV has been on the rise, but things like Twitch won't sustain you over the long haul. If they get on, say, Netflix, that's actually pretty good, especially if they're able to do some advertising along with it. Netflix's original content does well. Hulu might be a little better, but WWE is on there and I can see some sort of exclusivity deal being in place.
Also, just because more wrestling fans have internet, that doesn't translate to money. If AEW has to rely on Twitch or their own sort of subscription service, that's not good. Wrestling fans will go out of their way to keep from having to pay extra for stuff. For example, back to Impact, I've seen fans literally brag about watching their PPVs without buying them. Even if you present a product fans want to see, it's not a guarantee anymore that they will spend the money to buy it.
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