Eric Bischoff Calls AEW Dynamite’s Milestone a ‘Participation Trophy’

ATLANTA, GA — AEW Dynamite celebrated its 289th episode on April 16, officially surpassing WCW Nitro as the longest-running wrestling show on a Turner Network. Eric Bischoff, a key figure in the history of Nitro, responded to this achievement during an interview.

Bischoff chuckled at the milestone, stating, “It’s like a participation trophy. I guess it matters to somebody. If you took all of the viewing audience that we had over whatever run Nitro had, I think it would take AEW another 15 years to deliver that audience at the rate they are going.”

While he admitted he does not follow the current AEW product closely, Bischoff acknowledged the attendance of nearly 30,000 fans at AEW’s All In event as a significant accomplishment for the promotion. “Sure, they got 20,000 people for All In — credit to them, that’s a big achievement,” he remarked.

However, he also expressed concerns over AEW’s declining viewership, noting they have lost about 15 to 18 percent of their audience every year for the last five years. “Just last week, they pulled about 580,000 viewers during prime time on a major cable network. That’s not what I’d call strong performance,” Bischoff said.

Bischoff critiqued AEW’s character development and storytelling, stating, “I see them trying, but I don’t watch the product anymore. I just couldn’t take it anymore.” He believes AEW is focusing too much on a small, hardcore audience that enjoys extreme violence, which may limit their growth.

Despite his criticisms, the wrestling community is eager to see if AEW can improve its product and change Bischoff’s perception in the future. Observers continue to discuss whether the company can sustain its momentum or if it will face further challenges.