Since the launch of AEW, WWE has tried to counter the rival promotion at every possible turn. WWE aired an EVOLVE special on the WWE Network during the same time as Fight for the Fallen and then later aired an NXT UK TakeOver special the same day as the All Out PPV event.
Once AEW got a television deal with TNT, WWE decided to move NXT to the USA Network to counter-program them. While both sides have claimed publicly that they’re not worried about each other, the ratings war between them has heated up as late.
During WWE’s annual shareholder meeting that took place earlier this month, Triple H was asked about the television ratings of NXT.
“The Game” stated that if you look at NXT, it’s WWE’s third global brand along with Raw and SmackDown. He pointed out how it’s a place where they create new stars for the future of the company.
“As far as the ratings go, I’m very happy with them, especially in the current circumstances. Everything is going well. We look at the long-term of that, not the short-term of that. And the long term is very exciting. We have a lot of stars. There are a lot of hungry young athletes, and the pipeline to bring in more as they continue to train and get better is very exciting. The future is very bright in that regard.”
Triple H was also asked about whether AEW has taken market share away from WWE, which is a valid question considering All Elite Wrestling is the second biggest promotion in the United States.
“To me, there’s a moment in time when you begin something and it’s very exciting and it’s fresh and there’s some interest in it, certainly. But it’s a big world. We continue to be focused on our product, continue to be focused on the development of our stars and our performers. And as Vince said earlier, we have a very long track record of doing this incredibly successfully for many, many, many years, and we will continue to do so.”
H/T to WrestleNomics.com for the transcript
