Update on AEW's relationship with WBD ahead of negotiations - Reports
AEW has entered a crucial year, as its original contract with Warner Bros. Discovery is in its final stretch. A new report has shed light on what fans can expect from the partnership as 2024 rolls on.
All Elite Wrestling signed a deal with WBD in 2019 to air Wednesday Night Dynamite on TNT. A lot has changed since then, including the company's flagship show moving to TBS, a contract extension, and the addition of two more weekly shows: Rampage and Collision.
That deal is now winding down, but Tony Khan's promotion is still locked in an exclusive negotiating window with Warner Bros. Discovery, meaning he can't negotiate with any other networks until the window has expired. All indications are that Khan and WBD's executives are working to hammer out a deal, but nothing has been announced as of now.
According to Fightful Select, AEW's exclusive negotiation window with WBD extends into the summer, although it's unclear when it will end. Additionally, Fightful was told by WBD sources that the media giant has its streaming service, MAX, in mind when negotiating any contract, making it likely that All Elite Wrestling's pay-per-views will be included in the next deal.
AEW and WBD launch new non-wrestling show
While it's unclear when All Elite Wrestling and Warner Bros. Discovery will reach an agreement on a new television deal, the entertainment giant still seems to enjoy a solid relationship with Tony Khan's promotion.
According to Khan, tonight's AEW Dynamite will feature a "significant" overrun. WBD has allowed the promotion of this luxury several times over the last couple of years, although the overruns usually amount to just a few minutes.
Additionally, the two companies have partnered up to produce a new non-wrestling show to be aired exclusively on TBS' YouTube channel. The show is called Meal and a Match, and it features Renee Paquette and RJ City hosting interviews (and potentially cooking meals) with special guests.
The new show's first episode airs this Friday, May 17, exclusively on YouTube, with Eddie Kingston as the inaugural guest.