AEW has grown tremendously over the past five years and Tony Khan is only trying to ensure that his company has a global presence, slowly but steadily. In light of his expansion plans, there is now speculation of AEW programming in the UK.
AEW continues to prove its staying power in the wrestling industry, and the companys latest move is a game-changer. After months of speculation, AEW has officiallyinked a multi-year media rights dealwith Warner Bros. Discoveryvalued at a whopping $555 million over three years.
AEWs new contract with Warner Bros. Discovery will bring substantial revenue over the next few years, with $180 million expected in 2025, $185 million in 2026, and $190 million in 2027. Warner Bros. Discovery also has the option to extend the partnership into 2028, potentially at an even higher rate, further strengthening AEWs financial footing and solidifying its network presence.
In the UK, AEW has found its television home on ITV. The network has been key in bringing AEW content to British fans since day one, and fans wondered if AEW would continue to work with ITV.
According to Dave Meltzer on the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, Tony Khan remains highly loyal to ITV, as it was the second network to support AEW after TNT. Despite the fact that TNT Sports will soon lose WWE and could be interested in picking up AEW for a regular, live time slot (instead of the delayed, late-night slots AEW currently has with ITV), Meltzer believes AEW is likely to stay with ITV. Khan views ITVs support as crucial to the success of AEWs Wembley events and values the positive relationship hes built with the network, which started even before AEWs launch.
It is to be noted that starting in January 2025, AEW will stream live onMax for U.S. subscribers, which is a major step in growing the companys audience and impact. Nonetheless, only time will tell whether ITV and AEW will continue their partnership, as it has served both parties well so far.
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