AEW is hoping to resume touring before WWE, with a July time-frame being discussed.
AEW business was booming with sold-out arenas before the pandemic hit last March, forcing them to tape behind closed doors at Daily’s Place in Jacksonville for the past year. While AEW has allowed around 1,000 fans to enter the location over the past several months, nothing can replicate a full house, both in terms of atmosphere and gate money.
With the company not doing any non-televised house shows, gate money from the weekly Dynamite shows are an important revenue stream. But hitting the road in July is all dependent on where we will be with the pandemic two to three months from now and also dependent on different states and their COVID-19 rules in terms of hosting live events with full capacity.
The UFC packed 15,000 fans in Jacksonville last weekend for UFC 261 while Machine Gun Kelly performed in front of 5,000 fans at Daily’s Place as well, becoming the first musical act to perform there since AEW took over the property.
WWE is looking to restart their touring in the second half of 2021.
