Just one business day after Netflix and Warner Bros Discovery announced the streaming giant’s plans to buy the David Zaslav-led company that consists of iconic Hollywood studio Warner Bros, the Discovery cable
networks, and their HBO Max streaming service, most experts and opinion-havers say it’s impossible to tell what impact it will have on AEW’s future. WBD’s TBS and TNT networks are the only television homes AEW’s had in its seven-year existence, and HBO Max has been adding more of AEW’s product to its offerings since the two companies contractually renewed their media rights partnership last year. Netflix is of course a major WWE partner, streaming Raw live every Monday worldwide, and much of WWE’s catalog most places outside the United States as part of a multi-billion dollar deal also signed in 2024.
But there’s a lot of interest in the wrestling world about what will happen to Dynamite, Collision, and AEW’s PPVs if/when the Netflix deal goes through, and no shortage of speculation — some in good faith, others for fun and profit.
It led someone to go to the source. Asked for his thoughts on the less-than-24-hours-old at that point Netflix/WBD announcement at the scrum following Ring of Honor’s Final Battle PPV on Friday (Dec. 5), AEW and ROH head honcho Tony Khan agreed with the pundits:
“First of all, it’s early to comment on anything that’s pending. Without getting into anything that has yet to be determined, I just want to say we have a great partnership with Warner Bros Discovery, and it will continue for many years to come.
“We have years left on our remaining agreement with TBS and HBO Max. I’m really proud of what we’ve built, and I think it’s going to be for a long time to come. It’s going to be like this with Warner Bros Discovery before anything is settled out. I’m very excited for the future. I think we have great partnerships.”
Khan didn’t mention Netflix by name, but referenced them indirectly along with Paramount+, Comcast, Amazon Prime, and others when he mentioned his ties to those media companies via his father Shad’s ownership of the National Football League’s Jacksonville Jaguars franchise:
“What I can say, from the things that are public knowledge, all of the bidders on Warner Bros Discovery are media partners of the National Football League, and great media partners of ours. Everybody who has been in the running for this is somebody we work with on the NFL, so I have a lot of respect for all of them.
“We work closely with all three bidders in the mix, and we’ll see what happens. I have only positive things to say about Netflix and Warner Bros. Discovery. I can tell you for sure, at least until the very end of 2027, going into 2028, we’re going to be here for years and years to come, over two more years with AEW on TBS, TNT, and HBO Max. I’m very excited about it.”
All of that is pretty much exactly what we’d expect TK to say at this point, even though it’s difficult to see how the proposed Netflix/WBD acquisition is good for AEW (or the world, but that’s a topic for another blog). But file it away for future reference, if you’re so inclined.
