Eric Bischoff Explains Why AEW Is 'Dying' Instead Of Growing

WWE Hall of Famer and AEW critic Eric Bischoff has once again lambasted the promotion for their declining viewership.

While speaking on his "83 Weeks" podcast, the former WCW executive categorically stated that AEW's viewership — which has seen a decrease over the last few months — is down mainly due to the product that Tony Khan and co. have put out.

"They're down because the audience is not buying the product," declared Bischoff. "Less and less people buy the product every week. What do they have, like 2800 people at their 250th landmark show, with the two biggest stars in the company and they drew less than 3,000 people? That's not cyclical, that's just dying."

Bischoff compared AEW's numbers to their rival WWE, arguing how the Endeavor-owned promotion is setting new records each year. "WWE's business is up year-over-year. They're setting financial records every time they open their mouths — attendance records, ratings, year-over-year business is not cyclical for them it's only cyclical for AEW."

When informed that the upcoming All In show has so far sold 40,000 tickets, Bischoff dismissed it, stating that Warner Brothers Discovery wouldn't be interested in those numbers. "Who gives a f**k?" railed Bischoff. "I don't think Warner Brothers Discovery does. I don't think that the people that didn't buy tickets to last night's 250th episode landmark mega event [do]."

He added that he doesn't take joy in ridiculing AEW's records, instead stating that he doesn't like the excuses that are given for the promotion's dwindling numbers.

Eric Bischoff isn't pleased that the 250th episode of "AEW Dynamite," a momentous occasion, wasn't hosted in a bigger venue. Conrad Thompson argued AEW may have held the show at the Simmons Bank Arena in Little Rock, Arkansas because of its nearness to Texas, where they have a residency for the "AEW Collision" show, and the decision made financial sense.

Bischoff understands that reasoning if he felt AEW was being financially prudent, stating the company is run like a hobby.

"I get it, can't be critical of that if it's actually being run like a business, because there's a lot of other things that suggest to me that it's really not. It's being run as a fantasy, a hobby," said Bischoff. 

However, he thinks cutting down on costs could cause AEW to enter into a "death spiral," which he believes will not help them cross the 1 million viewership barrier. 

"But if that's the case, that's the case, and the only risk in that is, as you become more efficient and are managing your cost, as you need to do, the perception of your product suffers and that's the downward spiral. That's the death spiral, and I've been in it; I know exactly how it feels," he said. 

He reiterated he is not joyful about AEW's predicament, stating that he's been in the position that AEW is in and saw similar patterns in WCW. Bischoff said that his criticism of AEW comes from a place of passion rather than joy.