Why Eric Bischoff Believes WWE Is Seen As More Commercially Viable Than AEW

The media rights for "WWE Raw" are up for sale, and rumor has it that Warner Bros. Discovery is interested in acquiring them. Despite being the home of AEW's weekly programming, Eric Bischoff believes that the entertainment conglomerate would rather host WWE's flagship show as it's more advertiser-friendly.

On "Strictly Business," Bischoff said that AEW's product is difficult to sell to advertisers. In contrast, WWE's content is arguably more appealing to WBD as it is less hardcore and bloody. Furthermore, Bischoff noted that AEW's inability to grow its audience might also factor into WBD's decision to choose "Raw" over "Dynamite," "Rampage," and "Collision."

"I think if any executive makes a decision like we think is being analyzed right now? It's like, 'No, we tried it. We're looking at it. We see the numbers; we see the growth or lack thereof. We will see what our ad sales team is able to do with it. We can't afford this property.' Afford meaning, keep investing in it because you're not getting a return on it, whereas there is a return on investment strategy, perhaps with Monday Night Raw or whatever, WWE Raw."

Theoretically, WBD could host both AEW and WWE programming. However, Bischoff doesn't envision that scenario becoming a reality, as WBD won't want to add more wrestling to its platforms. Additionally, there might not be another WBD-owned network available for AEW's weekly shows. Bischoff also believes AEW needs WBD, as moving to a lesser network will harm the promotion's reputation in the eyes of the audience.

If you use any quotes from this article, please credit "Strictly Business" with a h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.