During Wednesday’s Dynamite Grand Slam, lead commentator Excalibur offered some clarification, stating that Bleacher Report was ending and that starting with October’s WrestleDream, streaming PPVs will be only available on Triller, YouTube and PPV.com.
For fans that have previously purchased PPVs on Bleacher Report, access to previously purchased events will migrate. That migration is assumed to be to Triller, the former FITE, which currently offers past PPVs for purchase in bundled options.
The move is the latest interesting development in the ongoing TV rights negotiations between AEW and WBD which owns Bleacher Report. Prior to this past April’s Dynasty, it was announced that the ability to buy AEW streaming PPVs would be expanded beyond just Bleacher Report for the first time in the company’s young history.
Due to several reported issues on Bleacher Report’s B/R Live app, tonight’s AEW Revolution pay-per-view was made available for purchase on Triller (the former FITE) for domestic buyers in the U.S. in addition to the usual international audience.
B/R Live, owned by Warner Bros. Discovery, is the sole domestic streaming provider for AEW PPVs, making the move an unusual one.
AEW head Tony Khan made the announcement on X nearly an hour after the main card began:
For anyone with issues ordering on @BleacherReport, I understand BR's app has now fixed the issue on most platforms + just to ensure everyone can view the ppv, we've now been cleared to offer Revolution on @FiteTV in the US as well!
Khan pointed out that the B/R Live issues were resolved for “most platforms,” but did not make note of what caused the problems or how affected B/R Live viewers could secure refunds if forced to buy again through Triller.
According to Gavin Sheehan of BleedingCool.com, the issues were “either people cannot access it, can only see the Spanish feed, or are being told they need to buy it again.”
Sports media website Awful Announcing reported on the issues, embedding X posts from users frustrated with their inability to watch the show including media personalities like Barstool Sports’ Brandon Walker and our Bryan Alvarez.
The amazing story on the life of Angelo Mosca, CFL legend, pro wrestling main eventer. His famous hit on Willie Fleming, feud with Joe Kapp, the 2001 old man fight all detailed. How Mosca got into pro wrestling, whatever happened to Angelo Jr., why he didn’t play in the NFL, and his biggest career matches. Mosca’s run in Toronto as the perennial Canadian champion
Previews of AEW Full Gear and WWE Survivor Series, business notes, ticket sales, secondary market, lineups and movie theater business
Lots more regarding who was let go by WWE
Ticket sales for major upcoming WWE & AEW shows, including notes on the head-to-head markets
More on Bryan Danielson’s decision to come to AEW
UFC in MSG, two title bouts, $10 million gate
NJPW Power Struggle coverage, as well as Best of Super Juniors and Tag League, plus match of the year candidate
Myths and facts regarding alcohol abuse treatments
Ratings with segment-by-segment notes, international TV ratings
Another major star leaves CMLL
AAA TripleMania Regia, Omega, Velasquez, Munoz Brothers, LA Park and Marvel comic superstars
Stardom’s next PPV show
Mach Hayato, Japanese prelim wrestler who inspired pro wrestling and MMA superstars
ORDERING INFO: Order the print Wrestling Observer right now and get it delivered via mail, by sending your name, address, Visa or Master Card number and an expiration date to [email protected] or by going to www.paypal.com directing funds to [email protected].
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MONDAY NEWS UPDATE
Bryan and I will be back tonight with Wrestling Observer Radio talking among other things, Raw, the fallout of Full Gear and other news.
We’ve heard about a myriad of issues with the Bleacher Report site, which included a delay in getting the replay up, and others having issues pausing and rewinding s well as other issues with playing based on different apps.
Raw tonight is from Indianapolis. There will be more people in the building than Wednesday’s AEW show in the same city but in the secondary building in the market. Paid will probably be close to the same, maybe even lower unless they have a good walk up. Nothing has been announced at this time except for Seth Rollins vs. Finn Balor. WE are looking for reports from the Main Event, dark matches,i or anything not on the live television show, as well as looking for reports from tonight’s New Japan show in Riverside, CA to [email protected]
George Hines aka Bobby Fulton of The Fantastics, underwent surgery on his throat earlier today which went well. Best wishes to Fulton who has put up a courageous battle with cancer over the past several years.
Eddie Kingston noted that his shoulders were checked out and fine and that he will be back wrestling on Saturday’s Northeast Wrestling show.
New Japan is running tonight in Riverside, CA. This is a taping for New Japan Strong so the matches won’t be available until the next few Saturday nights.
Brogan Finlay & Jordan Clearwater vs. Kevin Knight & The DKC
Clark Connors & Karl Fredericks & Ren Narita vs. Will Ospreay & Jeff Cobb & TJP
Jonathan Gresham vs. Gabriel Kidd (this match should be great)
Alex Zayne & Yuya Uemura vs. Jay White & Hikuleo
Adrian Quest & Lio Rush vs. Bateman & Misterioso
Josh Barnett vs. Alex Coughlin
Tomohiro Ishii vs. Brody King non-title
Tom Lawlor vs. Fred Rosser for the New Japan Strong title
This will be Barnett’s first match in New Japan in 17 years. He started his pro wrestling career in New Japan right after being stripped of the UFC heavyweight title due to a drug test failure.
New Japan’s next show is Wednesday morning, the tag team tournament show at 4:30 a.m. Eastern from Toyama:
Yuto Nakashima vs. Ryohei Oiwa
Yuji Nagata & Tiger Mask vs. Tama Tonga & Tanga Loa
Hiroyoshi Tenzan & Satoshi Kojima vs. Hirooki Goto & Yoshi-Hashi
Great O’Khan & Aaron Henare vs. Evil & Yujiro Takahashi
Tetsuya Naito & Sanada vs. Minoru Suzuki & Taka Michinoku
Taichi & Zack Sabre Jr. vs. Bad Luck Fale & Chase Owens
The Best of the Super Juniors tournament is back on Thursday in Nagano for a show headlined by Desperado vs.Mater Wato and Hiromu Takahashi vs. Yoshinobu Kanemaru.
We’re doing weekend polls on Full Gear and the New Japan Battle in the Valley show, so you can leave a thumbs up, thumbs down or thumbs in the middle along with a best and worst match to [email protected]
Jordan Burroughs, one of the greatest wrestlers ever in the U.S., tweeted out a few weeks ago, “I want one MMA fight before I retire. Just one.” Burroughs told Ariel Helwani today ont he MMA Hour that he said he didn’t want to have any regrets wen he retires. But Burroughs said he was going to stay in wrestling at least through 2024 to try and win another Olympic medal. Burroughs 34 now which is old to start and also talked about not wanting to compromise his wrestling training,which MMA training would do.
Estrella Blanca, a star in the 60s, 70s and 80s, passed away today at the age of 83. He never lost his mask and had as many as 700 mask matches during his career that he won, which may be the all-time record.
WWE
New episodes of WWE Superstars from the mid-90s will be going up on Peacock today.
NXT tomorrow has Raquel Gonzalez vs. Dakota Kai, Odyssey Jones & Kushida & Ikkemen Jiro vs. Roderick Strong & Brutus & Julius Creed, Dexter Lumis vs. Tony DeAngelo and Duke Hudson vs. Cameron Grimes in a poker match in the ring.
The UBS Arena, which opens Sunday as the home of the New York Islanders, sent out a press release pushing the 11/29 Raw show in the building. They are only pushing November events so didn’t mention the AEW show.show in December.
UFC
Magomed Ankalaev vs. Thiago Santos is planned for the main event of a 3/12 show according to MMA Fighting’s Damon Martin.
Glover Teixeira, the UFC light heavyweight champion has been given the keys to the city of Danbury, CT today.
OTHER NOTES
Jonathan Gresham is debuting a new promotion he’s calling Terminus: Modern Age Grappling, with the first show on 1/16 in Atlanta.
World Pro Wrestling, a promotion running 2/19 in Cheltenham, UK at Town Hall, announced Tajiri vs. Jody Fleisch
Taylor Wilde vs.Taylor Rising will be on the Superkicked show on 11/26 in Toronto at The Great Hall.
The Dynamic Wrestling Federation runs on 11/19 in Overland Park, KS at the Camelot Ballroom with Jeremy Wyatt vs. Devin Thomas as the main event.
WAR on 12/5 in Lima a,OH at the Empowered Sports Center for a 3 p.m. show.
AEW pushed for the 2/28 special on Bleacher Report that Tony Khan announced earlier today as a way to help push that the 3/7 show will be the company’s first Sunday PPV show.
Khan announced Riho vs. Thunder Rosa, which could be the best match of the women’s tournament, would be on the platform. Bleacher Report is available worldwide unlike BR Live, which is available only in the U.S.
There will be either two or three matches on the special show. Besides the announced Riho vs. Rosa match, the final of the Japanese bracket of the tournament from Saitama will also be part of the special.
Khan said that he was pushing for a Sunday show on the platform to get fans ready because AEW has never previously run on Sunday.
The winner of the Japanese bracket match will appear live on the 3/3 Dynamite show against the winner of the American bracket, which would be the Rosa vs. Riho winner against whoever advances from the other half of the American bracket, with Anna Jay, Britt Baker, Tay Conti and Nyla Rose. The American bracket final will air on March 1 on YouTube.
The winner on 3/3 faces Hikaru Shida for the title on the 3/7 Revolution PPV show.
The Thunder Rosa vs. Riho quarterfinal in the AEW Women’s World title eliminator tournament will air for free on Bleacher Report on Sunday, February 28.
“The #AEW Women’s World Championship Eliminator Tournament USA semifinal bout featuring former AEW Women’s World Champion Riho vs. former NWA Women’s World Champion Thunder Rosa streams on Bleacher Report on February 28th on a free Sunday Special, one week before Revolution PPV!”
This will be the second AEW event to air on Bleacher Report this year, the first being the AEW Awards on January 27. That show aired exclusively on the Bleacher Report app. Khan did not make clear in his announcement whether the match would air on Bleacher Report’s website, or if it would also be exclusive to the app.
In the tournament, Tay Conti vs. Nyla Rose, plus Britt Baker vs. Anna Jay are the remaining first round matches and will air on the February 24 Dynamite.
Yuka Sakazaki, Emi Sakura, Ryo Mizunami and Aja Kong are the final four on the Japanese side of the bracket. Sakazaki vs. Sakura and Mizunami vs. Kong will air on AEW’s YouTube channel on Monday, February 22.
“This will be free worldwide for all fans on Bleacher Report, not BR Live for this show, back on BR Live domestic/FITE a week later for Revolution. It’s huge to get exposure on Bleacher Report available to millions of fans worldwide + a reminder Revolution is Sunday 3/7, not on Saturday.”
“With Bleacher Report’s 9.4M Twitter + 14.8M Instagram followers, it’s a huge opportunity to introduce AEW & our great wrestlers to new fans by streaming such a high stakes bout between 2 of the best as part of a free Sunday Special. Thank you Bleacher Report for teaming with us.”
