Subhojeet Mukherjee on June 26, 2024
Under Tony Khan’s leadership, AEW has forged a significant partnership with Warner Bros Discovery, ensuring that AEW’s content aligns with the network’s standards. This collaboration has fueled speculation about a potential media rights deal, and Tony Khan has now expressed confidence in a substantial renewal.
Warner Bros Discovery has been a proud broadcaster of AEW’s popular shows such as Dynamite, Rampage, and Collision. This exclusive partnership has been so impactful that it led to the discontinuation of AEW Dark on YouTube.
With AEW’s media rights set to expire at the end of 2024, Tony Khan has made it clear he is pleased with the current relationship with Warner Bros Discovery. Speaking on Stillman And Company, Khan highlighted the importance of live sports in the media landscape, particularly amid declining cable viewership. He emphasized the unique value of live sports programming when asked about the NBA media rights and the steady revenue generated by live sports.
“Live sports is the best way to draw a consistent audience for the top networks, cable channels, and streaming services. It’s really at a point where every major player in content is making moves in sports, including pro wrestling. Media rights for wrestling companies have been tremendous, and AEW is at the forefront. We have a big opportunity with AEW going into our media rights renewal. The NBA is going to get a huge deal, draw huge revenues, get a big contract. That’s been happening in the industry. Top sports leagues like the NFL, the NBA, and now AEW are looking to draw big dollars for the content and rights fees. There are more ways to watch content, but one thing that consistently brings big audiences, no matter how much viewership has changed and the platform has changed, is live sports.”
Looking ahead, Tony Khan expressed optimism about AEW’s prospects for a significant media rights renewal with Warner Bros Discovery.
“The one league that continues to grow and is at the very top and continues to find new ways to innovate at the forefront of media is the NFL. It’s the biggest sporting league in the world and continues to grow the pie, the revenues, and the audience. I think the NFL has it figured out better than anybody. Definitely, all the big sports leagues, including the NBA, and AEW are poised for big media rights renewals in the coming year.”
Reports suggest that the media rights deal between AEW and Warner Bros Discovery could be worth significantly more than $110 million per year. Fans and industry insiders eagerly await the final agreement between the parties.
Do you believe AEW and Warner Bros Discovery will reach an agreement for a great deal in the end? Let us know in the comments section below!
June 26, 2024 5:00 pm
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