Since the switch to empty arena shows, AEW wrestlers are placing on-screen bets with one another - and it's one the of the best parts of the show. So what are sites like DraftKings and FanDuel doing by not getting in on the action? (No pun intended.)
The March 17 episode of AEW: Dynamite was held in front of an "empty arena," though in reality there just weren't any fans. Wrestlers like MJF and Shawn Spears instead populated the sidelines, chatting with each other and cheering for their corresponding factions of faces and heels. Eventually, MJF and Spears began placing a series of friendly wagers with each other, with Spears taking home some of MJF's money. The pair even tried to get AEW commentator Tony Schiavone in on a few bets. This continued into the March 25 episode, which showed on-screen talent watching the action from backstage rather than at ringside - but still placing wagers on their wrestling peers. The segments received tons of praise on social media, with users looking to get into the action with their favorite wrestlers.
The Argument For a DFS/AEW Partnership
Outside of a few tennis matches and Australian rules football games, there aren't any live sports happening due to the COVID-19 pandemic. One would imagine this would put stress on DFS sites as not many people would be logging into their accounts on a regular basis. Even though Dynamite is a weekly show, it would give users the ability to play contests during a particularly dead time. In certain contests, celebrity pickers make their picks public and users can pick against them to win prizes. The same can be done in a hypothetical AEW contest, giving users a new level of intimacy with their favorite wrestlers. Imagine seeing MJF and Cody picking against one another, bringing their blood feud to a DFS site, and then discussing their picks on Dynamite in a heated exchange? Then, imagine the winner gloating over the loser - and how sweet it would be for the winner. It's a win-win for both parties. Also, actual sportsbooks take wagers on big wrestling PPVs, so the idea of a wrestling DFS contest isn't as far-fetched as one would think.
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The Argument Against AEW Contests
While this would be great fun, it's worth remembering that AEW is a scripted program with predetermined results. All it takes is one bad egg getting their hands on an event's script to ruin the fun for everyone else. DFS sites can circumvent this by offering winners site credit or tickets for future contests, or random prizes to everyone who participates - but will that be enough to keep players engaged? It'll have to, because it's not like there's anything else going on in the world of daily fantasy sports.
While it would certainly be a risk, the benefits outweigh the negatives here. AEW prides itself on giving fans access to their on-screen talent in a number of creative ways, like Being the Elite on YouTube and AEW's Unrestricted podcast. Partnering with a DFS site and giving fans another way to interact with their favorite wrestlers would be one more way AEW can separate itself from its competition and continue to be a trend-setter in the professional wrestling industry.