Speculation on Why AEW Didn’t Land Sportsnet Deal in Canada

AEW has undergone significant changes in recent years, and one of the most notable upcoming shifts is Collision airing on the newly rebranded USA Network in Canada starting January 1, 2025. Many fans had initially speculated that AEW might secure a deal with Sportsnet, Canada’s top sports channel, but the partnership ultimately went to TNA.

While speaking on Wrestling Observer Radio, Dave Meltzer speculated on why AEW did not secure a deal with Sportsnet in Canada, while TNA managed to secure the deal and it will begin on January 2, 2025.

Meltzer stated that Sportsnet, widely regarded as the top sports channel in Canada, has a history of hosting major brands like WWE and UFC, while AEW has been aired on TSN, considered the second-largest sports network. Discussions between AEW and Sportsnet took place, but the situation changed after AEW signed a deal with the Canadian version of the USA Network.

“In Canada Sportsnet is considered the #1 sports channel and TSN is #2 and WWE and UFC were on Sportsnet. AEW was on TNS and there was definitely interest and discussion and I don’t know how it and I knew it wasn’t gonna happen when AEW signed a deal with USA Network, which is the Canadian USA Network.”

Advertising

Advertising

Meltzer noted that Sportsnet would have wanted exclusive rights to AEW programming, making a separate deal for Collision unlikely. Instead, Sportsnet opted to partner with TNA, whose parent company Anthem, is based in Toronto. He speculated that this ownership allowed TNA to qualify as Canadian programming, a significant advantage in meeting Canada’s broadcasting regulations that require a certain percentage of Canadian content. AEW, as an American company, did not meet this criteria.

“Collision will be live on the USA Network in Canada. When that deal was announced that week I knew Sportsnet was not going to be getting it, because if Sportsnet was getting it they weren’t going to sign a deal with another station for Collision because Sportsnet would want all of it. So they went with TNA. They didn’t offer as much as TSN offered. one of the things in Canada is that they need to have a certain percentage of programming being Canadian programming. Because TNA is owned by Anthem, which is based in Toronto, it can be considered Canadian programming while AEW is American programming.”

While a deal with Sportsnet could have been beneficial for AEW, financial or strategic factors may have prevented an agreement. Meltzer acknowledged that AEW was interested in the partnership, which would have represented a significant upgrade for their Canadian presence, but ultimately, the deal did not materialize.

“It’s a big, big plus for TNA, it could have been a plus for AEW. It could have helped AEW but maybe from a financial standpoint, they didn’t make a good enough offer. I don’t know what the backstory of everything is but I do know they were talking to AEW and AEW had interest since it would have been an upgrade, but they couldn’t get it.”

With Collision set to debut on the Canadian USA Network, AEW is growing its reach while staying competitive in the wrestling world. At the same time, TNA’s partnership with Sportsnet gives them a chance to connect with more Canadian fans. It will be interesting to see how these moves benefit both companies.

Please credit Ringside News if you use the above transcript in your publication.