H Jenkins on October 5, 2024
AEW is navigating a complex landscape regarding its television contracts, particularly with an upcoming show set to debut on FOX. The new program, titled Shockwave, may not air on FOX, as many fans have speculated.
In a recent episode of 83 Weeks, Eric Bischoff discussed the potential for AEW to land Shockwave on FOX, including insights about which night it might air. He provided critical commentary on the feasibility of this development.
On the topic of Shockwave airing on FOX, Bischoff stated that the new show won’t actually be on FOX. He also made it clear that the idea of AEW getting a show on FOX is “a fantasy.”
“It’s not going to land on broadcast television. That’s a fantasy. Look, Swerve is — I understand. He’s excited. He’s out there promoting his company. He just got a big contract renewal, and he’s doing what he should do and promoting the company he works for. And I admire that. I think he got a little ahead of his skis by suggesting — and he did suggest it — that Fox Network didn’t renew SmackDown, which delivers about 2.3 million viewers a week, and they’re going to replace it with an AEW product that can’t find 600,000 or 700,000 viewers a week. With Rampage and Collision, we were looking at 300,000 to 400,000 viewers per week.”
Eric Bischoff questioned the logic behind the idea of AEW landing Shockwave on FOX. He expressed skepticism about the network’s decision-making, pointing out that it would be illogical for FOX to replace SmackDown, which draws 2.5 million viewers, with AEW shows like Rampage or Collision, which struggle to reach even 600,000 or 700,000 viewers.
While he acknowledged Swerve Strickland’s excitement and emotional investment in promoting his company, he categorized Swerve’s suggestion as a poor assessment of the situation. Eric Bischoff also emphasized that believing such a move could occur reflects a lack of information and understanding.
As for potential air dates, Bischoff noted, “So Monday’s out by default. Tuesday is NXT on CW Network, that’s kind of out. They’ve got Wednesday, and Thursday I guess is a possibility. I don’t see Friday for a lot of reasons.”
The future of Shockwave remains uncertain as AEW continues to work through its television strategy. If anything it is certainly giving fans plenty of things to talk about.
Are you excited to see what AEW has in the pipeline with their Shockwave show? Please share your thoughts and feedback in the comment section below.
October 5, 2024 9:34 am
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