AEW breaks its silence on its future in television

The situation of AEW on television has been up in the air since the announcement of the multi-million dollar merger between Warner Bros. Discovery and Paramount Skydance. Although recent reports emerged claiming that Tony Khan already knew since last year that his contract would not be renewed, both AEW and Warner have come out to deny it. Both companies assure that there was no prior notice and that the rumors of an imminent departure are, for now, just speculations.

Despite the denials, the reality is that Warner will be officially acquired by Paramount in the coming months. This leaves AEW with a period of 12 to 16 months to negotiate a new contract. There is doubt whether Paramount will want to keep AEW, considering they already have business with the owners of WWE. However, it has been clarified that there is no clause prohibiting the new company from having both wrestling brands on their channels.

Behind the scenes, the company is already preparing for any scenario. Close sources indicate that Tony Khan has raised the possibility of taking AEW shows to YouTube temporarily if a quick agreement is not reached. Additionally, the recent launch of MyAEW in March was a strategy to ensure that the company has its own distribution platform and does not depend entirely on third parties amid these changes.

Tony Khan maintains a calm discourse to not affect the morale of his wrestlers or the fans. The president of AEW assures to have a good relationship with the new Paramount executives; however, in the industry, it is perceived that the company is already working on seeking new broadcasting options. The closure of the merger in the third quarter of this year will be the key moment to define where AEW will be seen in the future.