I saw a Reddit post the other day of a guy from Wilkes-Barrie who had been begging and begging for AEW to have a show there so when he was watching and saw that it was broadcasting there, he was pissed that he didn't know and missed it.
Sure, he in particular could've paid a little more attention, but I think that sums up the marketing or lack thereof. I'm sure they'll work on it as time goes on. The fans still bring life to the shows, but a 70-75% full arena would add even more energy week-to-week.
I'm right there with him. I've been to I think 5 AEW shows now, and the last one I only knew about because of the Sasha Banks rumors and the "Big Business" branding they stapled to it. I bought those tickets very last minute.
I remember going to WCW and WWF shows many many years ago, and during those shows they would always take a minute or two to announce the next time (or two!) that they would be back in the area, and when to get tickets. I'm sure AEW does it too but somehow I just haven't noticed it.
I also remember on old WCW Nitro broadcasts they would run quick full screen overlays of the upcoming shows. AEW stashes a tiny little graphic in the corner, or Excalibur rattles off a few cities and dates at 6000 words per minute.
Tell me when you're in my city, advertise it for f***s sake, and hype something up to make me wanna go. Just ONE match that you know you can deliver on, gimme SOMETHING