The decision to air the infamous All In: London 2023 backstage fight may have been a controversial one but those at TBS seemingly had no problem with the call.
The footage was broadcast on the April 10, episode of Dynamite, mere days after CM Punk had given what turned out to be a relatively accurate recollection of the events of the day. Though Tony Khan has said airing the footage was solely to create the best show for fans, many believe it was an effort to ‘get back’ at Punk for critical comments made about AEW.
To many, airing the footage appears to have backfired on Khan and damaged AEW’s reputation more than it did any harm to Punk. Speaking on the AEW Dynasty media call, however, Khan said the show was given a seal of approval from those at TBS.
“TBS called me and told me ‘good job.’ You have to remember, I’m responsible for everybody’s job in the company. It is really important for us to please the network and TBS was really happy with that show.”
Khan’s eagerness to please those at TBS demonstrates that he is ultimately in the media business just as much as he is in the wrestling business. Whether fans agree with the decision or not, airing the All In fight did result in the April 10, Dynamite seeing an increase in viewers.
With that in mind, AEW won’t be able to rely on airing the backstage footage again to see another boost in the ratings. It’s also unlikely that 2022’s ‘Brawl Out’ will ever see the light of day with reports of lifetime NDAs to those involved (though Punk has claimed he doesn’t have an NDA.) Nevertheless, Khan will have to tread carefully going forward as while TBS may have liked the decision to air the footage, the same can’t be said for many fans AEW relies upon.
