WWE has been the industry leader in pro wrestling for decades, and with their impending acquisition by Endeavor, it doesn’t appear their position is set to change anytime soon. This does not mean there isn’t room for others to excel in the space, however, as Tony Khan has carved out his own piece of the pro wrestling pie over the last four years, or so, with AEW.
All Elite Wrestling’s growth since its inception has been noticeable year after year. After launching with only PPVs planned, the company eventually announced a deal that would see them bringing pro wrestling back to TNT for the first time since WCW roamed the airwaves. In 2020, a four-year extension of that deal that comes up at the end of this year was announced. The extension pocketed the company $175 million dollars with an option for another year at a “significantly increased price.”
That brings us to where we are today, with AEW looking to sure up its next TV rights deal with Warner Brothers Discovery, and expand its imprint with a second flagship show, Collision. The Wrestling Observer is reporting that AEW and Warner Brothers Discovery are set to announce their new TV rights deal this coming Wednesday, May 17, at the WBD upfronts. The event will take place at The Theater at Madison Square Garden, and, as of now, there is no word on who from WBD and AEW will be attending.
Also, as it stands, there is no confirmation on the length or amount of money attached to the new deal. Despite the lack of confirmation, a report from earlier today noted that there is buzz the new agreement could be worth up to one billion dollars, and be spread out over several years. Haus of Wrestling was told by a source a few weeks ago that the new deal could be valued at a billion dollars but was unable to confirm that figure with a second source. We did ask around and many of our regular contacts were radio silent about the issue.