AEW Stars Asked Not To Attend Warner Bros Discovery Upfronts

Warner Bros Discovery is gearing up for their upfront presentations, and AEW will be included. Odds are a big Collision announcement is coming as well, as pro wrestling fans will have to block off two hours every Saturday for their new show. Although that is all exciting news, odds are AEW talent won’t be seen at The Theater at Madison Square Garden for the event.

There is a world outside pro wrestling, and a fierce writers’ strike is going on in Hollywood. There is a lot to unpack in that story, and we suggest you look into the battle with AI and streaming royalties, but suffice it to say there is a lot going on. That caused Warner Bros Discovery to make a decision about their upcoming upfronts.

Variety reports that talent have been asked not to attend the Warner Bros Discovery upfront presentations. AEW was not explicitly mentioned in the report, and their show does not include unionized writers, but it’s likely that their talent is included in that.

A source close to the situation says this choice was made by WBD out of respect for both the talent and the writers on strike. However, talent will be represented in other ways throughout the show, and the event will cover all parts of the WBD business operations.

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The original pre-strike plan had been for a robust lineup, including big WBD stars like Magnolia Network’s Chip and Joanna Gaines, but has been trimmed down since the strike went into effect May 2. The work stoppage happened when the WGA and Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) failed to ink a new contract.

AEW will remove AEW Dark and AEW Dark Elevation from their weekly lineup, because their new deal with Warner Bros Discovery is an exclusive one. Now, their YouTube shows are no more, thanks to this new agreement that includes the Collision show.

Only time will tell how AEW Collision pans out. AEW Rampage drew dismal viewership on Saturday last week. It seems that Tony Khan’s company is going to do everything they can to draw attention to Collision, but they might not get personal representation at the Warner Bros Discovery upfronts.

What’s your take on the new Collision show? Do you want another pro wrestling show on television? Sound off in the comments!