What could the WarnerMedia/Discovery merger mean for AEW?
The world of business can be very treacherous, even at the best of times. On that note, AEW needs to be careful given the news of the merger between WarnerMedia and Discovery that was completed on April 8th
WarnerMedia is currently the corporation allowing All Elite Wrestling to broadcast Dynamite and Rampage on their networks, TBS and TNT.
However, WarnerMedia is technically no more. After the merger with Discovery Inc., the two corporations have formed to become "Warner Bros Discovery," with their reported assets being valued at over $100 Billion.
Only things I gotta say about the WarnerMedia/Discovery merger are AEW better start toning down on the blood & cursing until they sign a new deal. And prepare to shop around their shows to different networks because big corporate mergers tend to bring a complete business shift.
But what does this mean for AEW going forward? Speaking on a recent episode of Wrestling Observer Radio, wrestling journalist Dave Meltzer weighed in with his opinion on the matter. While All Elite Wrestling has a TV deal with WarnerMedia until the end of 2023, Meltzer believes this will be a massive story shortly.
"The TV deal’s not that far away, it’s the end of 2023 when this deal expires which means that late 2022, early 2023 is going to be the negotiation period. I mean it’s very incumbent on AEW to really heat up in the fall, it’s very important for them to heat up in the fall and look like they’ve got momentum. But a lot of things are going to be looked at and it’s not just ratings, although ratings are key, and if they can get a deal where they can stay on and maybe at a nominal increase, I think it’s going to be very tough because WWE is going to get a big increase from the USA network," said Dave Meltzer. (From 2:14 to 2:57)
All Elite Wrestling has been one of the most viewed additions to both TNT and TBS since the company's first broadcast on TNT in 2019 and TBS in 2022. However, if the corporate world has taught us anything, expect the unexpected.
AEW will need to learn from history as a previous merger dealt a killer blow to another wrestling company
Several fans in the wrestling world see AEW as a spiritual successor to WCW, given the similarities between the two companies.
Much like AEW, WCW also aired on TNT and was seen as a serious competition for World Wrestling Entertainment. All Elite Wrestling is now also involved in a similar merger relating to the Warner name. However, WCW wasn't so lucky when they were around.
@TonyKhan @AEW I see TK shooting today.
Ted Turner made WCW a money pit for YEARS by giving the control to Eric B. and the boys and eventually losing power with the AOL/TimeWarner merger. Tony is a smart businessman and true analytics guy who knows what he's doing, always. https://t.co/zdHpdD0AI6
Jamie Kellner was one of the primary figures in the TimeWarner/AOL merger in 2001. The executive did not see WCW as something that was in line with the image of their company. World Championship Wrestling was soon canceled from the network and went out of business after the deal. WCW would be purchased by Vince McMahon later in 2001 for a reported price of $4.2 Million.
Do you see something similar happening to Tony Khan's company? Let us know in the comments section down below!
Please credit "Wrestling Observer Radio" and give a H/T to Sportskeeda Wrestling when using quotes from this article.