Opinion: 3 things AEW must do to realistically compete with WWE
WWE is the biggest wrestling/sports entertainment promotion in the world. Vince McMahon has built a platform for regular content for the fans, and with the advent of social media, WWE has become even more popular. Given its millions and millions of followers, it is safe to say that the product is still very much in demand.
However, WWE might have to prepare for a new competitor in the business as All Elite Wrestling (AEW) has been launched this year. AEW's first major event Double or Nothing was held yesterday in Las Vegas. Going by the initial reception, there seems to be a good chance that WWE has a real competitor on its hands.
However, WWE is a global brand which has retained its undisputed status as the biggest company in the wrestling business for almost two decades. It will be extremely difficult for AEW to rise to the level of WWE anytime soon, but there is definitely a more wrestling-oriented audience, which AEW might explore to challenge WWE's market share.
On that note, here are 3 things AEW must do in the coming days to give themselves a good chance of competing with WWE.
#3 Recruit well-know faces in the wrestling business
The Wrestling industry thrives on face value, among other factors. For a new company, it is thus, very important to achieve a level of familiarity with the audience. New faces and talents are not likely to create the initial buzz that will catapult AEW to the next level. Hence, AEW must focus on recruiting well-known talents who will generate some interest from their own fans.
Chris Jericho and Cody Rhodes are already a part of AEW, and both were central to the success of Double or Nothing. If Tony Khan can recruit some more popular performers from around the world, their job would get much simpler.
#2 Avoid the tropes of a kid-centric show
WWE is popular among all sections of the demographic; its PG-rating is in service of that goal. There are plenty of children who are fans of the company. This impacts the creative process of the scripting of the content, catering some segments to light-hearted, childish humor.
The audience expects novelty and AEW must focus on this aspect to thrive in this industry. A more violent and sport-centric show could perform better in the current era. Even FOX, the soon-to-be home of WWE SmackDown Live, has demanded that the show be more focused on the wrestling aspect.
#1 Focus on India as an important market
WWE has a big market in India, with a huge chunk of the country's population tuning in to their weekly content. Vince McMahon's company has started to target this portion of the audience. In January 2016, WWE held a live event in New Delhi, and then returned to the city in December 2017; the company maintains a strong presence in the country.
AEW must do the same and try to capitalize on the market that already exists in India for wrestling-based content in order to secure a solid fan-base there. Television viewership is a very important barometer of a show's success, and India provides AEW with a fresh opportunity in that regard.