Backstage News On AEW Reportedly Being Unaware Of Warner Bros. Discovery Sale

Recent speculation about AEW’s long-term media future has been making the rounds online, but both sides involved are pushing back.

In recent days, claims surfaced on social media suggesting that All Elite Wrestling had been informed by Warner Bros. Discovery that the company would not exercise the option year on their current media rights agreement in 2028. As it stands, the existing deal runs through 2027, with that additional year serving as a potential extension.

The chatter picked up steam after John McCullen highlighted comments from agent Nick LoPiccolo, who alleged AEW had been tipped off about WBD’s potential sale. According to the claim, the purpose of that heads-up was to allow AEW to prepare a “contingency plan” in the event new ownership declined to continue the partnership.

That narrative, however, has been firmly denied.

Both AEW and WBD issued statements rejecting the idea that any such internal warning was given. Specifically, they disputed claims that WBD notified Tony Khan in the summer of 2025 about an impending sale that would impact AEW’s future. They also denied that WBD CEO David Zaslav personally relayed that information to Khan, noting that no showrunners, including Khan, were briefed on any such developments.

In short: the rumor doesn’t hold up under scrutiny.

It’s worth noting that some of the confusion stems from the source itself. LoPiccolo has been openly critical of Khan and AEW in the past, which has led to skepticism regarding the framing of the claims. Even so, the broader concept behind the discussion isn’t entirely controversial, once WBD changes ownership, decisions regarding AEW programming would naturally fall to the new regime.

That part is just business.

Meanwhile, WBD’s corporate future is already in motion. The company reached a merger agreement earlier this year with Paramount Skydance following a competitive bidding process that reportedly included Netflix. Shareholders approved the deal late last month, and it is currently expected to close in the third quarter of 2026, pending regulatory approval.

Looking ahead, AEW is projected to have roughly 12 to 16 months to secure its next media rights agreement—whether that ends up being with Paramount Skydance or another partner entirely.

The clock is ticking, but nothing has officially changed.

At least not yet.

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— John McMullen (@JFMcMullen) May 3, 2026