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AEW did it with Revolution and Double Or Nothing, and WWE followed suit with SummerSlam. I haven’t seen much reporting on how much money all involved are making from the airing of pro wrestling events live in movie theaters - but it’s enough that they’re continuing to do it.
For next weekend’s All Out show, All Elite is doing it again:
AEW’S PPV EVENT “ALL OUT” TO AIR IN SELECT THEATRES IN NORTH AMERICA ON SEPT. 5
— Joe Hand Promotions Creating In-Theatre Experience for Pro-Wrestling Fans –
August 27, 2021 — All Elite Wrestling (AEW), in partnership with Joe Hand Promotions, is bringing its highly anticipated ALL OUT PPV event live to select theatres on Sunday, Sept. 5, beginning at 7 p.m. ET. Participating theatres include Cinemark, AMC, Harkins, Galaxy, Marcus, Emagine, Studio Movie Grill and Cinepolis Luxury Cinemas in the U.S., and Landmark Cinemas in Canada.
Joe Hand Promotions will also ensure that fans enjoy a premium in-theatre experience during the show. To locate a theatre showing ALL OUT, fans can check the Joe Hand Promotions website: https://www.joehandpromotions.com/aew-all-out-theatres
“We’ve had a lot of success bringing the camaraderie and excitement of our pay-per-events to the big screen, and we’re looking forward to delivering another memorable evening next Sunday,” said Tony Khan, CEO, GM and Head of Creative of AEW. “Joe Hand Promotions has been a great partner in delivering top-notch experiences and connecting us with our fans at theatres across North America.”
“We’re excited to give wrestling fans the opportunity to experience ALL OUT in their local theatres through our partnership with AEW,” said Joe Hand, Jr., President of Joe Hand Promotions.
ALL OUT will be live from NOW Arena in the Chicago suburb of Hoffman Estates, Ill., on Sept. 5.
Not sure about the total number of screens which will show All Out, but this feels like an expansion of the plan for the previous two AEW events promoted at the theaters. Revolution and Double Or Nothing were were only shown at Cinemark.
With movie attendance flagging again due to the spread of the delta variant, options like wrestling probably look pretty good to exhibitors with empty theaters. And it seems the wrestling companies and their partners are turning a profit, so expect this to continue.
Stay safe, everybody.