While wrestling companies continue to do battle with technology (including the biggest promotion on the planet), there’s no denying that internet streaming is the future for content providers. With that in mind, it’s exciting to see more wrestling groups exploring new ways to catch consumer eyes. AAW will debut on Maddy GTV, a streaming channel available on Roku boxes, on March 5th with a new weekly broadcast.
Streaming is a hit and miss affair when it comes to indie wrestling – and even that might be putting it lightly – but it’s hard for me to not be optimistic about this. The taped nature of the show and the fact it’s being distributed by an established Roku channel and not, just for example, AAW’s own website gives me some level of reassurance that the broadcast will go off without a hitch. Complications with live broadcasts or a promotion’s website buckling under the pressure of thousands of viewers can hamper a fan’s experience and leave a sour taste – which is extra frustrating when you know the show is good. While Maddy GTV looks like a channel I wouldn’t watch for any other reason short of my dog’s life depending on it, I do appreciate that it’s an actual, functional Roku channel.
As I mentioned, the most frustrating thing about streaming complications is they often don’t do justice to the talent in the ring, and AAW’s roster is one that deserves to be showcased.
The promotion has been garnering rave reviews here at PWP for some time, but it’s so hard to stand out when there are so many great promotions, producing so many great shows, and viewers only have so much time, money and interest to go around. This weekly broadcast, which is free to Roku owners, could be a great hook for curious fans who want to try before they buy. I’ll be interested to see what form the show will take. Highlights of classic bouts? Recent interviews and angles? There are a number of approaches they could try – I’d hope for some more recent events, which would serve to get people invested in current characters.
Before publishing this article, I was watching their 2014 Chaos Theory show (Jerome’s review) and I’m confident they’ll grab any open-minded wrestling fan looking for something new. The eclectic mix of familiar and fresh faces offers a great variety of styles – and every time I watch, I kick myself for not following the group more closely.
The best of luck to AAW with episode one, and if you’re tuning in be sure to send your feedback to PWP (@pwponderings) and myself (@thebarrylad).