Tony Khan wears many hats in the sports world as the President of AEW and the co-owner of the Jacksonville Jaguars and Fulham FC.
When it comes to AEW, Khan openly speaks about the television ratings and wanting to keep Dynamite fresh.
Speaking to Variety, Khan explained how unpredictable matches across all leagues helps with viewership.
“Unpredictable matches help viewership,” he said. “You definitely want unpredictability in whatever you're offering, and that’s one of the key strengths of the NFL. Tournaments like the NCAA March Madness offer the premise of unpredictability and see stronger viewership as a result. A lot of AEW wrestlers hold belts in other companies. It’s great for us, it expands our reach, and it shows what great wrestlers we have.”
Along with unpredictable matches, having stars helps viewership in any sport. Leagues often see higher viewership when top stars from big markets are involved as opposed to smaller market teams.
Khan said about having more stars, "You can create stars, but it happens gradually and not overnight. It’s hard work and a lot of factors have to collide to bring a star about. But the more popular a league is, the easier it is to create more stars, with the NFL a great example. It’s a great tool to bring in fans. We had a huge audience and great engagement when Shaq appeared on our show.”
AEW brought in Urban Meyer and Charlie Strong for cameo appearances at Double or Nothing during the Stadium Stampede match.
Fightful will have live coverage of AEW Dynamite beginning at 10 p.m. ET on Friday.
