Why I’ll Never Trust Dave Meltzer’s AEW Buyrates (And Why You Shouldn’t Either)
One man shouldn’t get to be the sole gatekeeper of AEW’s business numbers — especially when he’s clearly in their corner.
This Dirtsheets.net dude said what I’ve been saying forever, and it still makes me angry. Dave Meltzer is an AEW fan. He might even have money in the company. He’s obviously close with Tony Khan.
And somehow, he’s THE ONLY MAN ALIVE who gets reliable PPV buyrates for AEW? Nah. Hard pass. Even if every number he drops is 100% accurate (and I seriously doubt that), the messenger is completely wrong.
I have zero trust in it — and I won’t trust any of it until we see real, verifiable sources. The same goes for ratings spin, ticket sales, and attendance claims.
The Problem With Having One Source
In a normal business, companies release audited numbers or at least consistent official statements. WWE has to file real financials because they’re public.
AEW? They let Dave Meltzer be the press release.
He claims “multiple sources inside the company.” Cool story. Name them. Show the math. Let someone else in the industry confirm it.
Until then, it’s just insider gossip from a guy who:
Gives AEW matches ridiculously high star ratings on a consistent basis
Defends the booking and business decisions even when the trends look ugly to everyone watching
Has had a cozy working relationship with Tony Khan for years
That’s not journalism. That’s being embedded.
The Bias Is Impossible to Ignore
Look, I get it — everyone has favorites. But when your favorite is also the one feeding you the positive business numbers, it becomes a problem. There have been rumors for years that Meltzer had some financial or early advisory connection to AEW.
Whether that’s true or not, the perception is there because his coverage lines up so perfectly with the company’s optimistic narrative.
Meanwhile, actual things we can check — TV ratings trends, demo performance, reported attendance, ticket prices, and venue sizes — often tell a different story than the glowing buyrate reports.
You can’t have it both ways: claim massive success in private numbers while the public indicators keep trending sideways or down.
And you definitely can’t expect fans to just take your word for it when the only person delivering those numbers is a known supporter of the product.
Delusional Gramps talking AEW going head-to-head with WrestleMania! LMAO Someone help him! Call an ambulance!
Real Transparency Would Fix This
AEW could solve this tomorrow by releasing official, audited PPV figures like WWE used to do. They could let independent analysts look at the data.
They could be upfront about ticket sales and walk-ups instead of letting one guy control the story. But they don’t. So we’re stuck with Meltzer as the official scorer.
I’ll keep saying it until it changes: Show your work.
Multiple sources. Third-party verification. Raw data. Until then, I’m treating every Meltzer AEW buyrate the same way I treat random Twitter rumors — with heavy skepticism.
Lovers4Life
