Fightful: WBD AEW TV DEAL renewal update

[Comrade Khan]

[Fightful Select] AEW in deep extension talks with WBD​

Full post can be found here: https://www.patreon.com/posts/wbd-sources-say-85956353

Some major changes could be on the horizon for All Elite Wrestling.

Fightful can confirm via Warner Bros Discovery sources that AEW has long been involved in television rights extension talks. Those that we’ve spoken to said that the conversations have been ongoing for months and they personally believe an announcement could be made this Summer or Fall of a deal reached.

WBD sources tell us they’ve been very happy with AEW, especially the flexibility they’ve provided with adding and subtracting shows, providing different kinds of content, and working around preemptions and network changes.

One of the provisions regarding AEW content and WBD was that AEW content would be exclusive to the WBD brands, which signaled the end of AEW Dark and Elevation on AEW channels. However, we’ve long heard that beyond the PPV integration, WBD hasn’t had much of an interest in ROH branding themselves, and it actually dates back to when Sinclair owned ROH. We haven't heard if that has changed of late.

WBD does have plenty of say and influence over AEW programming, as we’ve seen in the past with crossovers, and talent that are or aren’t featured. However, we’ve been told that AEW has also been really flexible with overruns, as well as other requests WBD has made.

Regarding the broadcast of AEW All In, we’re told that has been actively discussed as a part of these talks.

The WBD source did confirm what we’ve heard in the past, that the deal would be a “huge money increase for AEW, by the way things are looking now.”

 

[Chris]

I feel like they're pretty much the perfect partners for WBD, seems like they've almost bent over backwards at times to placate the network which hasn't been the best for on-screen but if it nets them a better deal then I can't say shit

 

[Comrade Khan]

I feel like they're pretty much the perfect partners for WBD, seems like they've almost bent over backwards at times to placate the network which hasn't been the best for on-screen but if it nets them a better deal then I can't say shit

what is your opinion on the theory that WBD is the reason we don't get more women wrestling on tv (youtube shows and roh never have this problem)

 

[Chris]

what is your opinion on the theory that WBD is the reason we don't get more women wrestling on tv (youtube shows and roh never have this problem)

Doubtful it's a hard mandate, outside of Athena and her angles I don't think ROH even has good women's booking either just more matches bc they can just do matches more free there

Feels more like my issue in TEW where the women aren't huge stars compared to men so you get penalized for booking too many women's segments essentially but if you don't they'll never become bigger stars which I've always believed that essentially you just have to "force" it like WWE did with their women's revolution thing, and then eventually you fake it til you make it and they're viewed as more equal divisions

 

[Comrade Khan]

Doubtful it's a hard mandate, outside of Athena and her angles I don't think ROH even has good women's booking either just more matches bc they can just do matches more free there

Feels more like my issue in TEW where the women aren't huge stars compared to men so you get penalized for booking too many women's segments essentially but if you don't they'll never become bigger stars which I've always believed that essentially you just have to "force" it like WWE did with their women's revolution thing, and then eventually you fake it til you make it and they're viewed as more equal divisions

I'm familiar with that concept, think we discussed it in the past, and I do agree actually they don't really book more womens stories per say in roh. But yeah, it's a chicken and egg thing I guess - at one point they are going to have to force it like WWE did (and TNA at some point obviously did, it didnt happen overnight clearly)

 

[Comrade Khan]

and not to repeat my past self, I do think signing Mercedes would force them to do that and I wish theyd get on with it lol