>>14010962AEW is like a rich guy's birthday party mixed with a regular guy PPV watch party, run as a non-profit organization
Tony cares about making SOME money back ($5 towards $60 + food + drinks, etc), he's not a total idiot. But if he spends $150M/year and only makes back $120M/year, he's happy with that. For just $30M/year -- well below what his family makes in interest/capital gains each year -- he's able to provide employment for X amount of wrestlers and get props from all his wrestling idols, journalists, and such. And to me that's much much better than buying his 3rd yacht or 5th private plane he won't appreciate.
If Tony could turn a profit, but it would mean employing more non-NJPW talents, more non-smarks, more "non-wrestling" Hollywood writers and producers -- people who are there primarily for the paycheck, not because they LOVE wrestling -- then he would rather not do it. Again, it's his birthday party. Would people vote to see X artist perform Y song instead of Z song? Maybe. But they don't have a vote. And Y song isn't Tony's favorite song, Z is.
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This post may seem like console warring but it's not meant to be. Tony doesn't care because he doesn't need to care. He's not going to completely overhaul his product and presentation, and go from a product he 95% enjoys down to just 75%, just to close the gap $20M/year. AEW is on national television, employs dozens of wrestlers that Tony really appreciates and respects, and as long as the status quo more or less continues unimpeded.....then it is what it is. I wish AEW were doing better than it currently is, but if this is what it takes to keep Tony bought-in instead of selling out (himself AND the fans), then we should respect that.
Tony is a billionaire Wrestling Philanthropist -- and that's OK.
