Eric Bischoff Says Television War Between WWE & AEW Is Only Starting

AEW Dynamite’s viewership is seemingly growing and their reach is certainly expanding. After bringing in much larger names, they also have the ability to produce a variety of dream matches. WWE is still the larger, and more successful company with two live prime time network shows each week. Tony Khan boasted the headway that AEW has made toward WWE already, and they don’t plan on stopping. That means that the real fight between those two companies has only begun.

During his 83 Weeks podcast, Eric Bischoff went into the war between WWE and AEW. He broke down how people really care about ratings versus viewership, because the demographic is only important to some incredibly influential people. When it is all said and down the real battle on television between those two companies is far from over.

“I think if you’re an executive in a media buying company or advertising agency, I think [the 18-49 demographic] matters. To the rest of the world, it doesn’t mean two sh*ts. But it is something that everybody can pat themselves on the back for, I’m talking about AEW supporters and fans. I’m not knocking it by the way, I’m excited that everybody is excited. But when somebody asks me what do you think about the focus [on the 18-49 demographic], it’s primarily driven by the internet wrestling community and people that write for it.”

“It’s not new, it’s been that way since I made the decision to go after the 18-49 male demo. Not because I was brilliant but because I knew there was no way I was going to beat WWE at what WWE was doing back before Nitro launched. 18-49 has always been important. Today it’s so much of a conversation because it’s a line item that those who are anti-WWE and pro-AEW can go, yeah, but AEW beat WWE in the demo. Big f*ckin deal, AEW on Wednesday night with no real competition for 18-49 gets a higher percentage of a demo than Monday Night RAW going head to head with Monday Night Football where the vast majority of the 18-49 year-olds that watch wrestling also watch football. It’s like me getting into a fist fight with Mike Tyson’s kid and coming out on top of that. I’m just making this up, and if he did or he does, and I were to mop the floor with that 16-18 year old kid, that’s like me walking around saying I beat the sh*t out of Tyson.”

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“It was the very best lineup on AEWs roster against the developmental squad [of WWE],” Bischoff said. “Not really competition, folks. That’s not the same thing, but everybody wants there to be, and I do too. I’m one of you, but all of us want there to be that Monday Night War vibe. We want that as fans because it was fun and history has taught us that it actually raises the tide and everybody’s boat floats higher when it happens, so we want that. But it’s not really a war yet.”

AEW can’t go a week without throwing a clever sideways jab at WWE in some way. MJF flat-out teased leaving AEW for WWE this week to get heat. We will have to see what goes down when AEW stars start seeing their contracts run up, because you know Vince McMahon’s company is not afraid to poach talent who catches their eye.

What’s your take on this story? Sound off in the comments!

Thanks to Wrestling Inc for the quote