Clear your schedules, because the amount of weekly wrestling available for consumption is about to increase significantly in the coming weeks and months with the addition of two new AEW shows.
Earlier this week it was confirmed that AEW will be adding a second YouTube-exclusive streaming show to their schedule called AEW Dark: Elevation, which premieres on March 15 with Paul Wight and Tony Schiavone behind the announce desk.
The idea behind the new broadcast is to highlight up-and-coming talent, the best unsigned independent talent and established stars.
In an interview with Dave Meltzer and Garrett Gonzalez on Wrestling Observer Radio, AEW head honcho Tony Khan revealed that originally the show was going to be simply called AEW Elevation, but a conversation with TNT caused a rethink.
Khan explained that TNT pointed out the potential for causing confusion with the addition of a third “brand” and that it would be better to use the existing ‘Dark’ property that is already associated with AEW’s YouTube-exclusive output.
TNT’s reason behind this is because there is a deal in place (which was made and reported a year ago) for a second AEW “flagship” show on TNT, which is expected to launch later this year. Understandably the thought process is that having Elevation plus another as-yet-unnamed show could cause confusion over which is which, and over what fans need to watch to keep up with AEW happenings.
Khan also confirmed that the new AEW show on TNT would be a fourth weekly broadcast, sitting alongside Dynamite on TNT and Dark and Dark: Elevation on YouTube – which confirms that AEW Dark will not be the property moving to TNT as has been speculated in the past.
Although as noted no date is confirmed for AEW’s new TNT show, it will be very interesting to see what night it airs on and whether WWE will respond by counter-programming with a new show of its own.
Is four AEW shows a week too many or are you excited about the prospect of more wrestling to consume? Let us know in the poll below: