Tony Khan Explains Why AEW Runs Larger Arenas Despite Lower Attendance

Tony Khan talks thought process of running bigger venues. 

Attendance for AEW Dynamite shows generally clocks in around 3,000 fans, according to WrestleTix. AEW often runs the local basketball or hockey arena in the market, which can seat anywhere from 10,000 to 20,000 fans. 

A portion of the arena is automatically blocked off due to the staging, but fans often point out that some AEW shows don’t look well attended given the crowd size compared to the arena size. 

Speaking to GV Wire, AEW President Tony Khan was asked about the decision to run larger arenas despite lower attendance. 

“It depends on the market and the time. A lot of times, those arenas have a lot of big advantages like email lists and marketing and they are a destination venue for shows. It depends on the market and the timing. Certainly, bigger arenas do have a lot of advantages. They have a lot of sale contacts and really good marketing resources,” he said. 

Asked if not utilizing the entire arena has other advantages, Khan replied, “It depends. They have a better chance of outreaching to certain customers than other venues.”

AEW is set to run the TD Garden on March 13 with AEW Dynamite Big Business. The show is at 6,205 tickets distributed, according to the latest WrestleTix update. 

You can find results from around the wrestling world at Fightful’s results section. 

If you use any of the quotes above, please credit the original source with a h/t and link back to Fightful for the transcription.