He’s done it once, so will AEW owner Tony Khan purchase another promotion to boost his sagging ratings?
AEW has not been doing all that well lately, when it comes to ratings and crowds. As much as rabid fans might want to proclaim, the promotion is struggling to sell seats. TV ratings leave a lot to be desired. New signings that came in with high hopes have failed to move the needle. Names like Mercedes Mone, along with imports like Okada and Will Ospreay? No substantial increase in ratings, sales or interest.
The company is waiting to sign a new television deal. That process has been strung out for quite some time. While they remain in talks with Warner Brothers-Discovery, the current state of the business has to be causing them concern. It was not all that long ago that there were rumors that CM Punk’s AEW departure and WWE arrival might make WBD consider WWE for a deal (they did not). One key component for any deal would be a streaming aspect. Wanting to have content for an AEW streaming offering, it was believed to be a big reason why the company purchased Ring of Honor.
What Next?
Now, they may purchase another promotion. It’s possible that AEW owner Tony Khan has eyes on Lucha Underground to help boost sagging ratings. Buying this promotion, primarily for it’s library, could be a boost. It also should come relatively cheap. WWE had kicked the tires on a purchase of the company assets, but according to Fightful they are no longer interested. Of course, buying that library would let WWE fans see Ricochet in one of his prior iterations.
However, there are a couple AEW talents (at least) who have also worked for Lucha Underground. So, a Khan purchase of the promotion wouldn’t just be acquiring random library footage. It would also be a move to acquire footage of current talent before they became AEW stars. And, if WWE has indeed bailed and there are no other suitors, it’s likely an easy deal to be made.
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