5 Pitfalls that AEW's deal with MAX should avoid

1. Don't go over $9.99

I can tell you that no profitable wrestling streaming subscription is worth more than $9.99 a month. Most wrestling shows, which cost $7 or more, offer massive backlogs and multiple companies. AEW is coming in with the smallest library, leaving fans with TV tapings and five years of PPVs.

Max offers an ad subscription at $9.99 for their coveted content, bringing DC, HBO, Cartoon Network, and Discovery into their package. AEW will be a welcome addition, giving the company an advantage over Netflix. However, this could also tempt WB Discovery to make a separate tier for AEW fans or only unlock AEW content for premium members. This mistake will drive budget wrestling fans into the arms of WWE.

2. Don't make new PPV's paywall exclusive

It broke my heart when I read that new PPVs would be offered at a discount, meaning that a subscription to Max will not provide all the current content AEW has. Ring of Honor previously tried the discount method in their Honor Club subscription when they were starting. Fans could get the PPVs half-off. They switched to a more generous free live-demand model, making it far easier to justify their subscription.

I understand that AEW PPVs are worth the price and that AEW can support itself on buys from these prestigious events. Even TNA knows that their pillar events must be bought at full price. However, the most recent PPV should leave the paywall a month after airing live. WWE set the precedent for complimentary PPVs as part of the Peacock TV subscription, and I don't think AEW should set themselves up with this hurdle. Make the PPVs available to us non-paying marks sooner rather than later.

3. Don't split up the brand

Nothing infuriates me more than having to subscribe to multiple subscriptions to enjoy a wrestling promotion's content. I need Peacock to get the latest PPV, Netflix to get the most recent Raw/Smackdown, and CW to get NXT. That is disorienting.

AEW is squarely on Max in 2025, but their sister promotion, ROH, will be under the Honor Club. That won't be the most massive loss, but WB Discovery might try to switch things up in the future. AEW might put Collision on a free app, while Rampage is cable only, and Dynamite is on Max. (hypothetically speaking). That would make things unnecessarily messy.

I am aware that mega-corporations like WWE must fight for their streaming rights and the contracts are brutal, but if there is an option to keep all the shows together, then Max should take full advantage of it.

4. Don't screw over the American audiences

For five years, the US has been forced to get their AEW programming through ancient TNT and TBS cable, while international territories pay Triller $5 a month to get the whole bundle. This is an unfortunate speed bump that has driven many Americans to change their country on VPN or pirate the shows.

Now that Max is picking up the programs in January, we are finally getting a taste of what the internationals have gotten so conveniently. But, with TNT, WB, and streaming rights in Max being so complicated, we can already see that other countries are getting their Max benefits early. Fans from Europe can already see Forbidden Door PPVS on Max.

The global community is getting more AEW for much less, and I pray that trend does not continue with Max. AEW is an American company that owes its success to American fans (though Japan, Mexico, and Europe are greatly appreciated). We must get the same benefits that the other countries are getting.

5. Don't favor cable over streaming

With the complicated mess over streaming rights and contracts, the trend seems to favor cable viewers over streamers. Cable promises more ad-time and higher subscription rates, leading promotions to see more dollar signs toward the ancient practice of networks. Even WWE can't give favor to its streaming deals, delaying its Raw/Smackdown streaming content four weeks on Peacock.

I hope Max will borrow its streaming model from TNA Plus, which puts out its content within the week it is aired and offers its PLE events as part of the monthly charge. AEW has confirmed that its live shows will air simultaneously with cable, but things change as contracts and streaming rights are reconfigured. If corporations become greedy or desperate, we could see a lot of WWE-esque streaming changes in the future.

AEW needs to get it right on MAX if they want to stay competitive.