Lots Of News Regarding AEW’s Talks With WBD, AEW PPVs Potentially On Max and more

It looks like AEW and Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD) are set to continue working together, though nothing official has been announced. Both sides have remained confident throughout the process that their partnership will go on, and now Fightful Select has provided a backstage update on their talks.

WBD has been active in cross-promotional efforts with AEW, like the House of the Dragon tie-in and the Reebok deal for the Young Bucks. An offer from WBD to AEW has been on the table for months, but details are scarce. Talks have been ongoing since last year, especially about getting AEW pay-per-views on Max. AEW has decided to wait for now, but discussions are continuing. Predicting the exact terms of the deal is difficult. Factors like Dynamite, Rampage, Collision, potential new shows, time slots, exclusivity, streaming, and pay-per-view rights all play a part.

AEW and WBD meet weekly on Mondays to discuss creative plans and avoid any issues. They’ve also been testing different time slots and three-hour blocks for their shows to see what works best. WBD has shown interest in putting AEW pay-per-views on Max since 2023, but it seems AEW might negotiate their properties together first. Last year, WWE also met with WBD about TV rights, but the market wasn’t strong for TV deals at the time, and WWE wanted to avoid a stock hit.

WBD sources suggested that extending TV rights likely included AEW too, as the TV landscape wasn’t favorable in late 2023. They might announce something within 2024. WBD is also interested in NBA rights, but they have been clear they won’t overpay.

“We usually don’t make schedule adjustments for properties we aren’t confident in,” a WBD source told Fightful, addressing concerns about AEW’s future. They weren’t too worried about a low June 19 rating, offering several reasons for it.

The three-hour TV blocks are intentional, as both sides are seeing what programming schedules work best. Regarding NBA rights, both AEW and WBD acknowledge it could impact their plans, similar to how an NFL quarterback’s contract affects the market. If WBD loses NBA TV rights, there could be more room for other programming.