In his twice weekly email to subscribers, John Ourand of Puck reports Warner Bros. Discovery is close to nailing down a new agreement with All Elite Wrestling (AEW), owned by Tony Khan. Ourand said his sources have said an announcement could come as soon as next week.
Reports had surfaced recently on various wrestling websites that a deal around $170 million per year was in the works and Ourand confirmed that number is “in the ballpark” and that it would be a three-year deal with an option for a fourth year. According to Brandon Thurston of Wrestlenomics, the current AEW deal pays around $70 million per year.
The report says AEW will air twice per week on a combination of TNT, TBS and TruTV.
Ourand asks, “Can WBD survive the renewal wars with a year-round sports lineup that includes October baseball, March Madness, the Stanley Cup, NASCAR, some college football and basketball, a little tennis, made-for-TV golf matches, fake baseball, and now second-tier wrestling? We’re about to find out!”
Currently, AEW airs three nights per week with AEW Dynamite airing on Wednesdays, AEW Rampage on Fridays and AEW Collision on Saturdays.
Rumors have also surfaced that Khan has been pitching a package to broadcast channels and that Max could still be involved as a streaming and possibly pay-per-view partner.
