How WWE Could Give AEW A Deadly Blow With A New TV Deal

Publish date: 2024-05-04

Highlights

2024 is going to be a pretty big year, not just for WWE but for wrestling in general. Both WWE and AEW will have to start negotiating with networks for the media rights of their shows. WWE has already started doing that. Nick Khan and company have been talking with television executives about finding a new home for Monday Night Raw. AEW’s deal with Warner Bros Discovery will also expire next year, and recently, there have been several rumors about WWE looking to put Raw on WBD, which would be pretty surprising because, as we know, AEW has three shows on the network. For WWE, this might be a great deal, but for AEW and wrestling fans in general, this is terrible news.

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WWE Raw Is Leaving The USA Network In 2024

Raw Has Been With NBCUniversal For Over 15 Years

On September 21, WWE announced that SmackDown will be leaving Fox next year and returning to the USA Network. Fans also learned that both NXT and Monday Night Raw will be leaving the USA Network when their current deal expires. WWE Raw has been on the USA Network since October 2005, and before that, they had a deal from when the show first began in 1993 until 2000. It was surprising news for fans because of the longevity of their relationship.

NXT is also going to start airing on The CW Network, starting in October 2024. SmackDown’s deal with Fox also expires the same month, next year. Back in 2018, Fox got the broadcasting rights for SmackDown for a whopping $1 billion for five years. NBCUniversal’s deal with WWE for SmackDown will also last for five years, and the deal is reportedly worth around $1.4 billion.

Speculation About Warner Bros Discovery's Interests In WWE Raw TV Rights

There Have Been Conflicting Reports From Wrestling Journalists

The USA Network didn’t sign a new deal for Raw, and currently, WWE executives are meeting with media rights partners for the same. Here’s something important that fans have to realize: everyone is reporting different things. According to one report, Nick Khan did pitch Raw to Warner Bros Discovery back in October, but he was turned down. Then CM Punk returned at the end of Survivor Series, and once again, there were rumors that Warner Bros Discovery was now interested in Monday Night Raw.

On Wrestling Observer Radio Dave Meltzer said, "Punk opened up what may have been a shut door.” PWInsider said that Marc Shapiro, Nick Khan, and Triple H had a meeting with Bruce Campbell, who’s WBD’s Chief Revenue and Strategy Officer. During the ROH Final Battle media scrum, Tony Khan said that he also talked with WBD recently and their relationship is pretty good. Now, going back to the meeting WWE had with WBD, there are so many conflicting reports on it. Some say it happened, others deny it. Andrew Zarian, for instance, said his sources at WBD had not heard about a meeting like this taking place.

All in all, it’s probably safe to say that nobody knows about these media rights deals. Earlier in the year, everyone was talking about how WWE was sold to Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund, but that didn’t happen. A lot of people didn’t know that NXT was going to The CW Network until the very end. But there’s a chance that WBD becomes Raw's new home. If that happens, what will it mean for AEW?

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If Warner Bros Discovery Gets WWE Raw, AEW's Future Might Be In Jeopardy

AEW Has Three Weekly Shows On WBD

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AEW started in 2019, and later that year, they signed a deal with WBD. Today, AEW has three shows – Dynamite, Collision, and Rampage – on TBS/TNT. As a rival company to WWE, AEW has given many wrestlers opportunities to grow. This competition is not only great for wrestlers, but it’s also great for the fans, because now both companies will have to put on their best product; otherwise, fans can go watch the rival company’s show. If the WBD/WWE rumor comes true, then it’ll be a huge blow to AEW.

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Tony Khan said he’d even take a pay cut if it meant staying on Warner Bros Discovery because he’s loyal to them. Can the same be said for WBD? If WWE gets a deal with WBD, AEW will likely not stay on their network. Even if they do, WWE is a bigger company than AEW, and it’ll again be a bad look for them. If the WWE deal gets AEW off TNT/TBS, then it's even worse because there aren't many other major networks that'll pick them up or, even if they do, allow them the level of freedom WBD gives them, especially if it's someone like Disney. There are other potential bidders as well (for both WWE and AEW) such as Amazon, Paramount, or even Fox. But again, nobody can tell what will happen, since it’s all speculation when it comes to reporting on media rights deals.

It shouldn’t be hard for a wrestling fan to see how Warner Bros Discovery dropping AEW would also hurt them. They already pay them so little for the value they get, and if AEW gets dropped despite being so loyal to WBD, it’s possible they’ll get lowballed by other networks and will have to settle for less money, which would affect their operations as well.

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