Another day, another update about AEW's ongoing negotiations with Warner Brothers Discovery concerning their new media rights deal. In what has been the biggest story of the year for AEW, the company is reportedly close to announcing their new deal with WBD that would make them the second-most profitable wrestling company in history behind WWE. In the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, Dave Meltzer broke down in detail what has been reported so far, his thoughts on what can be expected, and some surprises that could still be in store.
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The biggest talking point is the financial side of things. Puck recently reported that the new deal would be worth around $170 Million per year across three years, with an option of a fourth if things go well. Meltzer noted that the figure is not set in stone as of yet, and that there could be some changes at the 11th hour, and while it might not yet be a definitive figure, $170 Million does fall in line with the report of WBD offering Tony Khan double what they originally had after Khan was disappointed with the initial pitch.
Meltzer explained that the 2024 number was believed to be around $85 Million based on the escalation and increases that had happened on previous AEW deals, such as WBD signing on for another two hours of programming when "AEW Collision" debuted. Also revealed by Meltzer was that there was apparently set to be a planted story released that WBD actually offered less than what the current deal is worth. However, due to how much AEW and Khan have denied the idea that they were disappointed in the first place, it was never released.
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Tony Khan has been adamant that AEW will be on TBS and TNT for the foreseeable future when asked about the WBD deal, but the report from Puck claimed that AEW will air twice a week on TruTV. Meltzer explained that TruTV is in the process of being rebranded as a sports channel during prime time hours throughout the week, but it's currently unclear what the channel will carry. Meltzer believes that TruTV will air re-runs and simulcasts, with "AEW Dynamite" and "Collision" remaining primarily on TBS and TNT respectively.
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But what about "AEW Rampage?" Meltzer claims that the show will not be continued under the new deal, with the news of "AEW Shockwave" being its replacement, which is currently rumored to air on FOX Sports 1 for one hour per week. However, Meltzer noted that it is likely that "Shockwave" is being shopped around to other channels, with the hopes of landing on one of the broadcast channels, such as FOX, ABC, or CBS. Due to it being outside the WBD walls, that deal could take a little longer to finalize, and there is currently no timetable on when it will be announced.
The other elephant in the room is MAX, a streaming service AEW has been linked with for years, and looks to be the streaming home of the company when the deal is complete. With that said, what happens with AEW's pay-per-views is still not fully clear, as reports claim MAX will be part of the pay-per-view package, yet it's not been clarified as to whether they will be baked into the main deal or if they will act as a separate component.
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Unless there are any last minute changes, it has already been reported that the AEW-WBD deal could be announced as soon as next week, and Meltzer believes that when everything is finalized, it will be a big victory for the company and Khan.
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Meltzer stated that it effectively guarantees AEW will be profitable for at least the next three years, but doing a shorter-term deal across three years could actually be beneficial for AEW past the end of their current package. He explained that most sports brands have been locked into longer-term deals with networks, but given that deals tend to escalate when they get renewed, it could be beneficial, as AEW would in theory get more money more often. However, Meltzer did note that AEW's popularity among fans dropping could mean that it is a risk having a short-term deal, so ratings and attendance would have to increase in order to guarantee success.
Overall, the deal is reportedly done and ready to be announced. When that announcement happens remains to be seen, but Meltzer believes any major inclusions or changes won't be reported on until the announcement, such as the MAX pay-per-view package, what TruTV will carry, and if there is any inclusion of ROH in the deal. But one thing looks certain, AEW is here to stay, and they are going to have a lot of money to play with over the next three or, if everything goes according to plan, four years.
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