WWE was in some serious television contract talks, and Warner Brothers Discovery wasnt off the table. Although WBD hosts AEW programming, they were reportedly players, as it was reported during that time that WWE and WBDs talks were not a dead deal. Now we are getting new details about how far along those talks got.
According to Sean Ross Sapp on Fightful Select, industry sources expected WWE to wait for the right time to announce a deal for WWE RAWs move to Netflix. The market wasnt strong for television deals at the end of 2023, and WWE aimed to avoid a hit to their stock. WWE and WBD met last year before WWE secured their television rights, due to their relationship through TNT Sports.
WBD sources indicated that extending television rights likely included AEW, as the market for selling rights in late 2023 was not attractive. Announcements are expected well within 2024. WBD is also involved in negotiations for NBA rights, which are a major priority.
Meanwhile, AEW and WBD are confident their partnership will continue, with cross-promotional efforts like the House of the Dragon integration and the Reebok deal for the Young Bucks. An offer from WBD has been on the table for months, but details are scarce.
We will have to see how the television landscape looks in the next few years. It appears that AEW and WBD are going to work out a deal. WWE, on the other hand, is preparing to embark on some massive deals with Netflix, The CW and the USA Network, who will get RAW, NXT and SmackDown, respectively, with the next batch of media rights deals.
Whats your take on WWEs current television situation? Are you glad that theyre going to Netflix? Let us know what you think in the comments section!
