Tony Khan Explains Why AEW Can’t Air Live Internationally Due To Media Rights Deal With WBD

AEW President Tony Khan recently held a media call to promote this Sunday’s All In pay-per-view and answer a ton of questions surrounding his company’s biggest shows of the year.

Stephanie Chase asked Khan about the August 21st AEW Dynamite not airing live on ITV, and instead airing on tape delay. Khan explains that due to AEW’s media rights deal with Warner Bros. Discovery they have the right to first air and that it would be illegal for them to do so internationally at this time. He adds that since they pay 97% of their rights fees it’s only fair, but specifies that he would love to simulcast the show in the future.

It’s not legal for me to put the show on live in the UK before I put it on for the people that pay 97% of the TV rights fees in Warner Brothers Discovery,” he said. “They have earned the first right of airing the show and they have the legal first right to air the show. I can’t put Dynamite on anywhere before it airs on TBS and TNT, nor should I. TBS and TNT have been a great home to us. FITE has had at times issues in the stream of the show. I would love to do the show at some point, if possible, on ITV and put the show, ideally, on at the same time it’s on TBS and TNT,” continued Khan. “I just can’t jumpstart our primary media partner. In pro wrestling, those TV rights are a huge component of the business and really drives a lot of the revenue, along with huge tentpole events like AEW All In. Ideally, what I would like to do, is simulcast it, but that would still be very late here. It’s a 1 AM start, that’s not ideal.

The August 21st episode of AEW Dynamite took place in Cardiff, Wales and was the go-home edition of Dynamite ahead of All In.

(H/T and transcribed by Fightful)