AEW/WBD exclusive negotiations period to last into the summer

[Kross Rhodes]

My favorite part of this story is how many times it's been said they can't legally negotiate with anyone else besides WBD and people are still like "why is no one besides WBD interested huh" lmao

The only networks I think that would be better if money is similar are ESPN and Fox probably though

I agree that those would be the channels theoretically, but I would discount Fox having any interest in AEW, but you never can say never though.

And yeah, exactly. They’d have to turn WBD completely down before they can even entertain another offer? And that’s a gamble I wouldn’t be willing to take.

 

[Chris]

I agree that those would be the channels theoretically, but I would discount Fox having any interest in AEW, but you never can say never though.

And yeah, exactly. They’d have to turn WBD completely down before they can even entertain another offer? And that’s a gamble I wouldn’t be willing to take.

I don't think they'd have to turn them down but you run the risk of them pulling their best offer if you say you want to negotiate elsewhere first.

And with Fox, the only reason I give it a slight chance (very slight so not expecting it) is bc AEW will be so much cheaper than SmackDown and they've already seen how much wrestling helps nowadays, they just weren't willing to spend WWE money. But also if they just get stuck on FS1 instead of Fox proper that's a massive downgrade, SmackDown would do less than Dynamite the weeks it switched to it

 

[Cwalker]

My favorite part of this story is how many times it's been said they can't legally negotiate with anyone else besides WBD and people are still like "why is no one besides WBD interested huh" lmao

The only networks I think that would be better if money is similar are ESPN and Fox probably though

And tbh Fox might have had their fill with wrestling after the Smackdown deal

 

[Chris]

Report: Tony Khan disappointed with current WBD offer for AEW TV rights renewal

After months of speculation, there is some new insight into the current AEW/Warner Bros. Discovery TV rights renewal talks: some of which that has AEW head Tony Khan reportedly not thrilled with the…

www.f4wonline.com

As part of his weekly subscriber newsletter, Puck’s Matt Belloni (former of The Hollywood Reporter) reported that WBD head David Zaslav and TNT Sports head Luis Silberwasser want to retain AEW Dynamite, Collision and Rampage.

However, Belloni writes, “…the clock is ticking. I’m told the exclusive window closes in July, and AEW leader Tony Khan is said to be disappointed with the offer currently on the table. Khan also surely knows that Zaz losing the NBA would give AEW more leverage, even though the money to re-up AEW is a mere drop in the NBA bucket. If the window closes without a deal, others could swoop in for those rights, as Comcast has done with the NBA. (Extra awkward because WBD is said to own a stake in the league.)”

He went on to speculate that he’s unsure of how attractive AEW is to other platforms, given only non-WWE partners can be in on potential bidding. He also said AEW provides “reliable programming” and that if Zaslav loses both NBA and AEW TV rights, that could cause more damage in WBD’s deals with cable providers.

 

[Cwalker]

As mentioned, TNT losing the NBA is the best possible thing that could have happened for AEW

 

[Chris]

According to Dave Meltzer, AEW sources have told him that the first offer was not disappointing to Tony Khan, but that the two sides have yet to reach any deal. Negotiations for both TV and streaming are ongoing with WBD and not TNT Sports.

AEW denies disappointment with first WBD TV rights renewal offer

AEW has denied a Monday night report from Puck that the first offer made by WBD toward a new TV rights deal was disappointing. According to Dave Meltzer, AEW sources have told him that the first offer…

www.f4wonline.com

 

[Deezy]

Hope people understand that WBD have exclusive negotiating rights so ofcourse they lowballing them.....go back to the table after July and bring in some other bidders and see what they really worth.