DAZN Dropped All Elite Wrestling in Europe, Asia Due to Poor Ratings; Where Can You Watch AEW in the US?

For several months, fans of the All Elite Wrestling combat sports entertainment promotion in Europe and Asia were left in the dark as to why its content disappeared from the DAZN streaming platform. DAZN is a beloved sports streamer in international markets, carrying the rights to NFL football, NBA basketball and many other events, and until January 2024 it also offered AEW pay-per-views as well as weekly shows like AEW: Dynamite,” “AEW: Collision” and “AEW: Rampage.” Now, reporting from former DAZN social media head Steven Muehlhausen is sharing details on why AEW content was dropped from the streamer, and The Streamable’s experts will take the opportunity to refresh the memory of anyone who’s wondering how to stream the wrestling promotion in the United States.

Key Facts:

• DAZN signed a three-year deal with AEW in 2023, but included an opt-out clause after the first year.
• The streamer did not see the type of ratings it wanted for AEW events, causing its decision to opt-out.
• AEW streams on TBS and TNT in the United States, making them available on-demand on Max as well as on live TV services such as Hulu + Live TV.

Muehlhausen reports that the deal signed between AEW and DAZN for the service to stream AEW weekly shows and four pay-per-view events for European and Asian customers in 2023 included an opt-out clause which DAZN could choose to exercise after the first year of the deal.

DAZN chose to use that option because each PPV except for “All In” failed to attract the numbers the platform was looking for. Only a handful of weekly episodes met ratings expectations, so DAZN decided to cut its losses and move on from the deal rather than trying to stick with it for another season of potential struggles.

The report from Muehlhausen includes details from his time with DAZN. He laments the fact that the streamer never gave AEW “even 5 percent of the budget given to MMA and boxing,” suggesting that perhaps DAZN did not prioritize advertising AEW events the way it promotes its other combat sports events.

The news comes as AEW is trying to negotiate a new broadcasting deal with Warner Bros. Discovery in the United States. AEW president Tony Khan has characterized its talks with WBD as “amazing” thus far, and said that the wrestling promotion is looking to create a new streaming platform that will allow American customers to see past events on-demand.

Where Can You Stream AEW Shows in the United States?

AEW weekly shows and PPV events currently air on TBS and TNT in the United States. There are several live TV streaming services available to stream them each week, but which one is the best choice for big-time wrestling fans?

The Streamable recommends Hulu + Live TV for streaming AEW every week on TNT and TBS. In addition to these networks, Hulu + Live TV carries Fox and USA Network for viewers in the vast majority of markets, allowing audiences to watch WWE shows like “Raw” and “SmackDown” live in addition to AEW content. Viewers who sign up for Hulu + Live TV at $76.99 per month or higher get free access to the Disney Trio Basic bundle, meaning they can watch more combat sports like the Professional Fighters League on ESPN+. For a limited time, new Hulu + Live TV customers can enjoy a three-day free trial to test out the service.

Max also offers AEW events appearing on TBS and TNT in its Bleacher Report Sports add-on. The B/R add-on was first launched in October, and the plan all along has been to eventually start charging viewers an extra $9.99 per month to watch it. The original strategy was to shift the B/R hub to a paid feature at the end of February, but the company changed course in January and declared that it would be summer before customers in the United States had to pay for the add-on. Summer is fast approaching, but until then fans can stream AEW shows on Max via the B/R add-on with every plan, starting at $9.99 per month for ad-supported streaming.