AEW has seen major growth over the past six years, with some of its early shows like AEW Dark becoming fan favorites. Although Dark was eventually canceled, the condition for AEW bringing back the show has been revealed.
While speaking on the Fightful Select Q&A podcast, Sean Ross Sapp was asked if AEW could bring back Dark or Dark: Elevation and possibly air it on Max instead of YouTube, with the thought that it could perform well on that platform.
Sapp explained that there have been people within AEW who have wanted Dark to return in some form. However, he provided some background on why the show was discontinued. When AEW made the deal for Collision, Warner Bros. Discovery wanted exclusivity over AEW content, though they were okay with Ring of Honor continuing separately.
When AEW later worked out a new deal, it only included Dynamite and Collision. As part of the arrangement, AEW received more money and dropped Rampage, reducing their TV output by at least 52 hours per year. This also allowed them to move away from WBD exclusivity. Right now, any AEW content shown on WBD platforms needs to bring in a rights fee. If not, AEW would likely just put the content on YouTube or HonorClub instead.
AEW Dark was called Wrestling on YouTube and gave talent a platform to perform and helped build a loyal following. Its return would likely be well-received and so well have to wait and see if it will ever come back, as fans definitely want that to happen.
Would you like to see AEW Dark return somewhere down the line? Please share your thoughts and feedback in the comment section below.
