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AEW's poor run of form when it comes to live attendance continued this past Tuesday at the latest Collision tapings. Photos of the show emanating from Canada are doing the rounds on social media.
One would expect a rare trip to other lands to boost attendance for the Tony Khan-led company, but that does not seem to be the case this time. Even the inclusion of major stars like Kenny Omega and Bryan Danielson on the card could not save the promotion from a rather embarrassing turnout.
This follows other worrying images of near-empty arenas for AEW shows being shared across the web. Tony Khan and his team will be looking to buck this trend sooner rather than later, especially heading into the new year when fans could be preoccupied with things other than pro wrestling.
Tony Khan says AEW is fine
A few months ago, Tony Khan was confronted with the difficult question surrounding the state of his promotion's live attendance numbers, which have quite noticeably been dwindling. The AEW President said the following on The Dan Le Batard Show:
"The perception is very strong for AEW worldwide. (...) We set the all-time record for ticket sales for any wrestling show ever in the history of the planet. We're having a very good year. Our pay-per-view numbers are through the roof." [H/T Fightful]
Perhaps pay-per-view numbers might be the saving grace for All Elite Wrestling in 2023, as it is hard to believe that the company's live gate numbers for its weekly shows have reached the management's expectations.
Wrestling veteran Dutch Mantell warned All Elite Wrestling about its poor attendance numbers, saying the company was "going into a hole." Naturally, this would mean that the promotion would cease to exist if other factors don't continue to prop up its revenue.
In reality, there should be little worry about the wrestling organization closing down any time soon. The Khan fortune is seemingly at no risk of drying up for the foreseeable future. But still, the promotion's inability to attract live viewers could, at the very least, send a slight shiver down Tony Khan's spine.
