Steve Carrier on November 22, 2025
Eric Bischoff didn’t mince words when he heard Tony Khan admit to Ariel Helwani that he doesn’t know AEW’s streaming numbers on HBO Max.
During a recent episode of 83 Weeks, Bischoff went off after Conrad Thompson asked the question everyone’s been thinking.
Conrad pressed the issue while talking about AEW’s upcoming negotiations for TV and streaming rights. He asked, “How do you negotiate a better deal for your streaming if you don’t know your current streaming numbers?” That’s all it took for Bischoff to snap into full shoot mode, and what came next was a brutal takedown of Tony Khan’s business credibility.
“There is no data point they can point to that I’m aware of that would indicate potential growth… Ticket sales? That math doesn’t math. Ratings? Despite all the stuff Tony goes out and says—which I don’t know why he says it, because people in the ad sales industry and television industry know that he’s full of [__]. They know it’s a lie. It’s hard to have credibility when you’re sitting in a room with people who know better.”
Bischoff didn’t stop there. He called out AEW’s overall lack of strategic planning and accused the company of living in denial instead of facing its industry setbacks.
“It’s all because they haven’t been growing in any category other than the illusions they create in their mind.”
While Tony Khan is often praised for his passion, Bischoff’s harsh critique puts a spotlight on AEW’s more fragile areas—particularly when it comes to business transparency and long-term planning in a rapidly evolving media landscape.
What do you think about Eric Bischoff’s comments? Is he just being brutally honest, or do you think he’s too hard on Tony Khan? Drop your thoughts below and let us know what side you’re on.
Please credit Ringside News if you use the above transcript in your publication.
November 22, 2025 1:42 pm
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