Tony Khan Discusses AEW Moving to Smaller, More Intimate Venues for Shows

– During a recent interview with the Battleground Podcast, AEW President and CEO Tony Khan discussed AEW opting to hold more of its recent TV events at smaller venues, providing more intimate crowds and experiences for the TV product. Below are some highlights (via Fightful):

Tony Khan on AEW switching to smaller more intimate venues for shows: “I think it just depends on the venue. I think for the pay-per-views, packing it in and bringing in 10-12 thousand fans, sometimes more, even the world attendance record we set in Wembley Stadium, over 81,000 tickets sold for AEW All In. These are great venues, great events. But it’s also great to see wrestling presented, as we’ve been doing it, on TV in recent months, in some of the great theaters, amphitheaters, and AEW is primarily, our TV has been known for a lot of great wrestling, a lot of great wrestlers, because AEW is where the best wrestle.”

On Daily’s Place being a unique viewing experience for AEW: “But the venue that’s probably most associated with AEW television is Daily’s Place, which is an amphitheater. It’s a unique viewing experience. So then in recent months, we’ve visited all these great theaters across America, and we’ve been able to find some of that same spirit, some of that same, excited passion and that packed house in these intimate venues, like you said. You’ve got Hammerstein Ballroom in New York City. Recently, we had a great experience at the Andrew Brady Theater in Cincinnati, and people clearly loved seeing that. We were just at the Virgin Theater in Las Vegas.”

On going to places with a similar energy as Daily’s Place: “We’ve gone to some really great venues across different cities. Daily’s Place will always be number one in our hearts, I think, but lots of great places across America where we get that same energy. It’s different energy from these great pay-per-views in these huge arenas and stadiums. So I really enjoy it. I think first and foremost, the wrestling has been great, the wrestlers are doing a great job, our staff, and we’ve been putting great shows together.”