AEW Full Gear 2023 PPV Buys Could Surpass Expectations

AEW’s Full Gear event proved to be a resounding success, drawing solid numbers in various aspects.

Held at the Kia Forum in Los Angeles, the Full Gear pay-per-view delivered a captivating night of wrestling entertainment. The headline bout saw MJF successfully defend the World Heavyweight Title against Jay White. Additionally, the event made headlines with the signing of renowned international wrestler Will Ospreay to AEW. Toni Storm’s victory over Hikaru Shida, earning her a record-tying third AEW Women’s World Title, added to the event’s significance. Not to be overlooked was Swerve Strickland’s triumph over “Hangman” Adam Page in a classic Texas Death match.

Speaking to the media after the AEW PPV event, AEW President Tony Khan expressed optimism about the event’s performance. Khan indicated that Full Gear was projected to have garnered over 100,000 pay-per-view buys, potentially surpassing the numbers achieved by WrestleDream.

In the Wrestling Observer Newsletter’s latest edition, Dave Meltzer provided insight into the streaming numbers, suggesting they were approximately 15 percent or even more above those of WrestleDream, and potentially exceeding 20 percent.

“Because of the holiday, our TV PPV numbers aren’t complete with one major system we usually get not factored into this, and it’s a system AEW usually doesn’t do well with. But based on the numbers we have as compared to the same number of days after the show, the numbers are up 33.3 percent from the same period for WrestleDream, but WrestleDream also didn’t do well on cable/sat. They are down 17.1 percent from Forbidden Door at the same period. Based on that, you’re looking at 122,000 to 140,000, with how well the late buys do being the key factor.”

The complete picture of Full Gear’s performance will become clearer in the coming week as more data becomes available, offering a more comprehensive assessment of the event’s success.

Given the strong performance of AEW’s Full Gear event in terms of pay-per-view buys and streaming numbers, what do you think this success signifies for AEW and the wrestling industry as a whole? How do you anticipate this might impact AEW’s future plans and the broader wrestling landscape? Share your thoughts below.