"I really believe in listening"- Tony Khan says fans are AEW's north star
Tony Khan has become a pioneer in professional wrestling by creating a landmark promotion like AEW in 2019. Six years since the company was incepted, Khan and his management have made it a top promotion and direct competitor to the global juggernaut,
WWE
.
The AEW CEO and President opened up about his approach and the influence of the fanbase it has garnered over the years.
Tony Khan admits that wrestling fans have an influence on AEW
In an interview with TMZ Sports, Tony Khan stated that the fans influenced the television product in AEW. He believed in listening to his fanbase, which has been significant in the growth of the company and positive, especially in the last four years.
Khan said,
"They do influence it, the fans are a major influence on me personally and on AEW.
And I really believe in listening to the fans, and the fans have been so positive about AEW in 2025 and it feels good when the feedback is so positive. And right now the conversation around AEW is very positive, I think it's the most positive it's been in 4 years, maybe ever. Right now we're having great trends, we've been able to grow the viewership quarter over quarter.
"
Furthemore, Khan also added that the feedback has continued to be positive, motivating him to put in more effort.
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Moreover, he liked to get any feedback, whether positive or negative, that eventually helped in the promotion's improvement.
"When the fan feedback is positive, it feels good but I want to keep that going, it feels like people are really liking what's happening in AEW this year — I like hearing what the fans have to say, positive or any kind of feedback, especially if it's constructive or anything you can use to make AEW better, that's great for us,"
said the AEW President.
AEW hit a huge milestone this week with the 300th episode of its flagship show, Dynamite. It featured marquee names like Kenny Omega, Will Ospreay, Swerve Strickland, and Mercedes Mone. The show was a spectacular event and captivated the audience throughout the night in the Toyota Arena in Ontario, California. The Jacksonville-based promotion is now looking ahead to their premier event on July 12, at the Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas, AEW All In Texas, which is also expected to be a huge success for them.
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