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As AEW’s TV rights deal with Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD) approaches its expiration at the end of this year, fans are buzzing with anticipation. Recently, reports surfaced suggesting that a tentative agreement had been reached, potentially bringing AEW content, including pay-per-views, to the MAX streaming platform. However, these reports were soon contradicted by sources close to WBD, stating that no deal is imminent, and negotiations are still ongoing.
Amidst this uncertainty, AEW President Tony Khan has been vocal about the ongoing discussions. In an appearance on the Battleground podcast, Khan shared his thoughts on the current state of negotiations. “We’re in very deep, exciting conversations,” Khan stated. “There’s a lot to figure out because we have these great shows with AEW Dynamite, Rampage, and Collision.”
Khan emphasized the success of AEW’s primetime shows, noting their impressive ratings. “Our primetime shows…we’ve been doing great, great ratings with our flagship shows. And it’s a really exciting time. Like I said, this past week both shows did their biggest numbers in months. So it’s an exciting time for us to hit new highs.”
Khan also highlighted the complexity of the negotiations, which involve not only TV shows but also pay-per-view content and the streaming library. “The conversations are awesome right now. There’s a lot to figure out with the AEW TV shows, our pay-per-view content, our streaming library, and all of these things. So it’s a lot of very complex conversations, but they’ve been great.”
Despite the complexities, Khan remains optimistic about the partnership with Warner Bros. Discovery. “We’re having great talks with Warner Bros. Discovery now. And it’s a great partnership, and we’re very fortunate to be here, and it’s a great place, for wrestling in particular, TBS and TNT.”
With Tony Khan and David Zaslav scheduled to meet in Paris during the Olympics, fans are hopeful that the final details of the deal will be ironed out soon. Until then, the wrestling community will be keeping a close eye on any developments regarding AEW’s TV rights negotiations.
