On Wednesday, AEW finalized their long-rumored new television deal with Warner Bros. Discovery. However, the deal will not mirror what WWE has with Peacock in one very important way.
There has been no bigger story in the world of AEW than the company trying to finalize a new TV deal. In 2023, rivals WWE came to terms on a pair of contracts that will see the company make at least $6.4 billion over the next decade. Now, it’s AEW’s turn.
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While company boss Tony Khan is open to taking his brand to the highest bidder, all signs have pointed to AEW television content staying on TBS. Well, that was confirmed today when an agreement was officially announced in a press release on Wednesday.
“We are honored to announce the extension of our incredible partnership with Warner Bros. Discovery,” said AEW CEO, GM, and Head of Creative Tony Khan said in the statement. “This extension continues the tradition of iconic wrestling events broadcast on TBS and TNT, while also establishing a new legacy for AEW through weekly live streams on Max for years to come.
“We thank David Zaslav, Kathleen Finch, and everyone at WBD for their tireless support of All Elite Wrestling since its inception, as well as the AEW fans, talent, and staff that helped make this possible.”
AEW to charge a reduced rate for PPV events on MAX
As part of the new deal, episodes of Dynamite and Collision will be simulcast on MAX each week. Also, much of the AEW video library will be available on-demand on the Warner Bros. Discovery-owned streaming service. Furthermore, the press release confirmed the rumors that AEW pay-per-view events will be moving to the service in 2025.
However, AEW and their new streaming partner will not be offering PPV events free with a subscription to MAX. Instead, an added cost will have to be forked over to watch cards like AEW All In. The release claims a reduced cost for PPVs will be announced at a later date.
Nevertheless, it is a big miss by the company to make their limited fanbase have to pay extra for PPVs, while WWE is not doing the same for their more successful major events.
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