Huge update on AEW's negotiations with WBD; "significant increase" on deal expected - Reports
AEW and Warner Bros. Discovery have been having talks regarding a renewal of their television deal recently. Some recent reports have shed light on the current standing between both companies.
The talks between WBD and the Tony Khan-led promotion have been nothing but positive according to recent reports. WBD has offered the Jacksonville-based company a major contract that potentially doubles the amount of their previous deal. The contract could offer All Elite Wrestling shows and pay-per-views to permanently move to the MAX streaming service.
According to the recent report by Fightful Select's, Andrew Zarian, WBD was confident that their offer to the Jacksonville-based promotion would be accepted and the deal would be extended, with significant financial gains for AEW.
"WBD sources have expressed continued confidence that a deal is happening with a significant increase. Plans for AEW content in 2025 on WBD continue to shape up," reported Fightful.
Vince Russo believes WBD is the only chance AEW CEO Tony Khan has for his television programs
All Elite Wrestling and WBD have been partners since 2019 and their deal will be coming to an end soon. Both companies have reportedly been in talks for a renewal but an official statement has yet to be announced.
In a recent episode of his The Brand podcast, Vince Russo made a bold claim about the ongoing contract negotiations. The veteran stated that WBD was purposely waiting for Tony Khan to approach them as Khan likely did not have any other significant offers for his All Elite Wrestling shows, and would ultimately accept the terms Warner Bros. Discovery was willing to offer.
"They haven't signed with anybody else bro so that may mean that there may not be any serious bidders and let's face it bro. If potential partners are comparing AEW numbers to WWE numbers, AEW doesn't stand a chance bro. They are getting killed by the WWE. I think Warner Brothers Discovery knows all of that bro, and I think they are waiting this thing out because they know Tony's got nowhere else to go and Tony is gonna wind up taking what they give him," he said. [20:30 - 21:18]
You can check out his comments in the video below:
It will be interesting to see what the future holds for All Elite Wrestling shows but recent reports suggest that the promotion might stay with Warner Bros. Discovery with a significantly better deal.