During a recent interview with Variety, AEW President Tony Khan commented on Free Ad-Supported Streaming (FAST) platforms, opening the forbidden door in wrestling, using non-wrestling stars on AEW TV, and more. You can check out some highlights from the interview below:
On sports being slow to embrace Free Ad-Supported Streaming TV (FAST): “There are a lot of digital outlets right now, and there’s not enough penetration on these FAST platforms. I think it’s inevitable that sports will move to FAST once everything starts moving that way, which will be a good thing as these services are very accessible.”
On opening ‘The Forbidden Door’: “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.”
On the importance of creating stars in sports: “If you have stars you can still draw, and stars can draw across anything … 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.”
On using non-wrestling stars on AEW TV: “It’s a great tool to bring in fans. We had a huge audience and great engagement when Shaq appeared on our show.”
