AEW Dynamite’s frequent overruns are reportedly drawing frustration from within the company itself. Over the past several weeks, the show has consistently blown past its standard two-hour time slot, sometimes running more than 30 minutes long.
On a recent episode of Wrestling Observer Live, Bryan Alvarez said he’s spoken with people inside AEW who share the same concerns about the show’s runtime.
“Guys, you realize I talked to people in AEW. Nobody likes this overrun. Like, the people there are like, ‘Why is this show going so long? I left and got home and the show was still going.'”
Alvarez stressed that the pushback isn’t limited to fans and media.
“This is not something where, ‘Oh, everybody there is all excited about it and we’re the bad guys.’ Like, nobody is in favor of this except the real hardcores.”
The recent ratings tell the story. The August 12 Dynamite wrapped at 10:21 PM ET and pulled 658,000 viewers on TBS, down 5% from the prior week. Those numbers do not account for HBO Max viewership.
The August 5 Grand Slam Mexico edition ran close to three hours. According to Wrestling Observer data, the show averaged 736,000 viewers across its standard two-hour window but dropped to a 694,000 average after the extended overrun.
Alvarez also noted that Tony Khan isn’t receiving any additional compensation for the extra airtime.
“He’s not getting anything out of this. He’s not getting paid for the overruns. I could tell you that for a fact. He’s losing viewers. He’s shooting his big angles in front of the smallest audience. Like, what are we doing?”
The issue resurfaced on this week’s Dynamite, which once again ran more than 30 minutes past its scheduled slot before closing with the Kenny Omega and Will Ospreay angle.
Alvarez said he hasn’t been able to find anyone inside AEW who can explain the continued commitment to overruns.
“And I ask—I ask people, I’m like, ‘Can anyone explain to me?’ Like, ‘No, no one knows. He just keeps going.'”