Tony Khan teases announcement on AEW Dynamite's 5th anniversary amid speculation of new television deal
Tony Khan is busy preparing for a milestone episode of AEW Dynamite. This week, the flagship Wednesday night show will celebrate its fifth anniversary, and there could be a major announcement made as part of the festivities.
Tomorrow night's AEW Dynamite will air five years to the day after the company's inaugural episode on October 2, 2019. While that original episode was hosted in Washington, D.C., the promotion has decided to hold this special edition at the Peterson Events Center in Pittsburgh, PA.
The show already features a stacked card, with several major matches being lined up alongside the build to WrestleDream. Tony Khan has now taken to social media to reveal that Dynamite will have a "significant overrun" this week. He also teased another announcement that might be ready by showtime:
"Tomorrow, Wed, 10/2/24, is the 5-Year Anniversary of the first ever AEW Wednesday Night Dynamite! Thank you all! Tomorrow's Wednesday Night #AEWDynamite Anniversary Show will have a significant overrun thanks to @TBSNetwork! + I may have another announcement by showtime TOMORROW," wrote Khan.
While it's unclear what this announcement might be, fans have been eagerly anticipating details of the new television deal between All Elite Wrestling and Warner Bros. Discovery, which was reportedly all but signed a couple of weeks ago.
Tony Khan expected to announce AEW-WBD deal soon
AEW President Tony Khan has been deep in negotiations with network partner Warner Bros. Discovery all year regarding a new television contract. It now seems that those negotiations have wrapped up.
The window for exclusive negotiations expired in August, allowing the company to speak to other networks. Speculation is rampant that the young promotion has struck a deal with FOX, but as of now, nothing has been confirmed.
In a recent update, The Wrestling Observer's Dave Meltzer claimed that the deal between All Elite Wrestling and WBD has been finalized, and Tony Khan is expected to make the announcement soon, potentially at Dynamite's fifth-anniversary show this week:
"An announcement is just about ready for the new WBD and AEW media rights deal. The deal has been completed. It’s possible it’ll be Wednesday in conjunction with the Dynamite 5th anniversary," Meltzer said.
This would be a huge positive for the future of AEW, especially if the promotion's pay-per-views are hosted on MAX as part of the deal. As of now, the details of the contract remain to be seen.