All Elite Wrestling’s televised future is coming down to the wire. Back in Fall 2019, AEW inked a five-year deal with Warner Bros. Discovery to premiere its weekly flagship series, AEW Dynamite, on TNT. AEW’s partnership with Warner Bros. Discovery shifted significantly since then, as the wrestling company added weekly in-ring shows AEW Rampage and AEW Collision to its slate, but the length remained unchanged. AEW President Tony Khan remained adamant about his admiration for Warner Bros. Discovery, never once entertaining the idea of bringing AEW’s television rights to another network. Nevertheless, AEW’s Warner Bros. Discovery lease being due up on New Year’s Eve has raised concerns about whether the company needs to go house-hunting outside of its current neighborhood.
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Things began trending upwards in the late summer. Khan told ComicBook that AEW was still having “really productive negotiations” with Warner Bros. Discovery and followed that up in September by teasing that “AEW is here to stay” on Warner’s television networks.
AEW’s Massive Warner Bros. Discovery Deal
Warner Bros. Discovery is reportedly doubling down on its AEW investment, literally.
As reported by Puck, Warner Bros. Discovery and AEW have a deal that is “close to being finalized.” The contract is said to be $170 million per year for four years. Three of those years are guaranteed with the fourth being an option.ย
Under these reported terms, AEW programming would air twice weekly across Warner Bros. Discovery channels TBS, TNT, and TruTV. ย This suggests that one of AEW’s three current weekly shows will be scrapped.
“We’re still in very, very close and exciting negotiations with Warner Bros. Discovery. It’s been going on throughout the summer that we’ve been having these conversations, and it’s a very detailed package that we’re having discussions about,” Khan said earlier this month. “I think it’s safe to say, I believe AEW is here to stay on TNT and TBS, and I think that’s true for a very long time, and I believe it. I have not put pen to paper. I’m still working on things. It’s an exciting time without getting too specific, while giving everybody that anticipation of things to come, there are really exciting things to come and I’m very grateful to have the support of Warner Bros. Discovery, TNT, and TBS.”
An announcement on this deal could arrive “as soon as next week.”
