Steve Carrier on September 15, 2023
AEW recently announced an upcoming event in Memphis, Tennessee, scheduled for October 21, but it appears that the delay in this announcement was influenced by WWE’s contractual restrictions.
According to Dave Meltzer’s Wrestling Observer Newsletter, WWE has contractual agreements with arenas that include restrictions on advertising or announcing dates for events with other wrestling companies. These restrictions typically cover a certain number of days before the event and a period afterward.
In this specific case, WWE hosted Monday Night RAW at the FedEx Forum in Memphis on August 28. As a result, it seems that a window of approximately 15 days after the event needed to pass before AEW could officially announce their show at the same venue.
“AEW just announced a 10/21 date in Memphis. The reason this date at the Fed Ex Forum was announced so late in the game is that WWE’s contract with arenas calls for no announcing or advertising of dates with other wrestling companies from a certain number of days before the event (so tickets for both aren’t on sale at the same time) and for a period after the event.
RAW ran the building on 8/28 so it appears the window is about 15 days after the show before anyone could announce another show.”
This isn’t the first time such agreements have been reported, and it sheds light on the competitive nature of the wrestling industry, where both AEW and WWE vie for venues and fans’ attention.
Do you think contractual restrictions between wrestling companies and venues limit competition and opportunities for fans to see a variety of wrestling events? Leave us a comment below.
September 15, 2023 7:51 am
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