AEW President Tony Khan has commented on the possibility of AEW Dynamite moving from its traditional slot on Wednesday nights.
After it was announced that the NHL was heading to TNT, rumours immediately began to swirl over what the move could mean for Dynamite. The deal between the NHL and Turner is a seven-year agreement that will see regular season games, playoffs and Stanley Cup Final games broadcast on TNT and TBS. The agreement comes into affect at the beginning of the 2021-22 season.
Appearing on Busted Open Radio, Tony Khan refused to rule out the possibility of AEW moving to a new time slot. Khan said that while the company has a contract for the next two and a half years, if it was beneficial for AEW, he would consider a move.
“I know Wednesday night is our slot and our home,” said Khan. “I’m thrilled with our partnership with TNT. It’s the lifeblood of our company and our primary revenue source. It’s the way most fans get exposed to AEW and see our show. Every Wednesday that we do Dynamite, for a lot of wrestling fans, it’s a really important night of the week. I want everyone rest assured that they’re not going to have to worry about these kind of major….we have a contract with over two and a half years left for Wednesday nights in this slot. If there was ever an opportunity to move or a deal to be had, I would consider it. If we did something, it would have to be a really good deal for AEW and make sense for us. As it stands right now, that is the spot we’re in. If we move, I would certainly consider a deal if there was something in it for AEW.”
NXT recently moved from it’s own Wednesday night time slot, and has been outstripped by AEW in the ratings since. The latest episode of the black and gold brand pulled in 744,000 viewers, which is down nearly 100,000 compared to the prior week. Meanwhile, the last two unopposed episodes of Dynamite have comfortably drawn over one million viewers.
Away from Dynamite, AEW announcer Jim Ross has spoke about AEW going on the road “pretty aggressively” starting in July.
H/t to Fightful for the transcription.