The WWE Network essentially killed the PPV business for wrestling companies; after all, why spend $50 to watch a show when you can pay $9.99 per month for that and a huge amount of other content?
As a result, a lot of fans and pundits were unsure whether All Elite Wrestling's Double or Nothing PPV had any chance of attracting a decent-sized audience. Well, early buy-rate numbers are in and not only did they manage to make a lot of sales but the company also exceeded expectations.
According to the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, Double or Nothing got around 98,000 buys. This includes cable and internet streaming purchases and the final number could exceed 100,000. It's also way up from the 55,000 buys All In received.
As of right now, it looks like Double or Nothing will top the 99,000 buys ECW Heat Wave got in 1999 and that will make it the new record holder for the highest buy-rate for a non-WWE/WCW PPV. TNA/Impact Wrestling shows only usually get around 50,000 buys and that company has been around for years and has an established fanbase.
It's fair to say that the future looks bright for AEW!