Subhojeet Mukherjee on March 19, 2026
AEW prides itself on having cheaper tickets compared to WWE and constantly advertises the fact — but not everyone in the company thinks that’s a good look.
Bryan Alvarez revealed on Wrestling Observer Live that there are people within AEW who aren’t fully on board with how the company is marketing its pricing. Specifically, the focus on promoting tickets as “cheap” might be doing more harm than good. Alvarez explained that this isn’t just his take — it’s something he’s discussed with people inside AEW, WWE, and even others in the entertainment industry.
“One of the things AEW is doing is really promoting, ‘Our tickets are cheap.’ And I know some fans don’t want to hear this, but I’ve talked about this with people in AEW who agree with me, people in WWE who agree with me, and others in entertainment who agree as well.”
That’s where the concern starts. According to Alvarez, while offering lower prices than competitors like WWE can be a positive, actively advertising that fact sends the wrong message to fans: “It’s really not a good thing to advertise that your tickets are cheap.”
Alvarez broke down how that messaging could actually hurt AEW’s perception — especially when compared to WWE’s premium pricing model. The biggest issue? It could make AEW look like the lesser option.
“It is a good thing to have cheaper tickets than the competition, but to actually advertise that fact sometimes works against you. It gives fans the idea that you’re the secondary entertainment, the secondary wrestling promotion — the ‘cheap’ wrestling promotion — and you really don’t want to give people that impression.”
AEW stars like MJF have recently taken shots at WWE’s rising ticket prices, positioning AEW as the more affordable alternative. But now, this new perspective suggests that leaning too hard into that narrative might backfire. Instead of coming across as accessible, it could risk making the brand feel like a step below. That’s the balancing act AEW is now dealing with.
Do you think AEW promoting cheaper ticket prices helps the company, or does it make them look like a secondary product? Let us know your thoughts and leave your feedback below.
Please credit Ringside News if you use the above transcript in your publication.
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