“Clearly Demand for It”: Tony Khan Refers to $5B Raw & Netflix Deal While Revealing AEW’s Streaming Platform Plans

In what promises to be a turning point in the world of streaming rights, Warner Bros., Discovery, Fox, and Disney will launch a sports-focused streaming company in the United States. This will combine the various rights of each service under one digital roof. The no-name service is still expected to launch this fall, and pricing is still unknown. Each group will own one-third of the service and license its sports content to viewers on a non-exclusive basis.

WBD has an existing agreement with AEW that expires at the end of 2024. While its exclusive trading window is not public knowledge, WBD is considered to be the front-runner given Tony Khan’s publicly stated desire to remain loyal to his only national television partner. In a recent interview, Tony Khan expressed his thoughts on the deal and what it means for AEW while referring to WWE’s deal with Netflix.

Tony Khan on AEW’s new home

In a recent interview with Denise Salcedo, Tony Khan addresses his thoughts on the recent deal between WBD, Fox, and ESPN and what it means for AEW. AEW does not have a streaming partner as of now and would be looking forward to expanding its viewership. Khan believed that there was great potential in the deal, as he said, “We have the library, we have the content, we also produce great new content including the great PPV events we do, that are streaming PPV right now. I think there’s a ton of opportunity in the market and clearly demand for it.” He further hinted at the Netflix-WWE deal as he said, “And seeing what’s happening in the industry right now. People seeing other big streaming deals happening in wrestling. And particularly for AEW the stage is set for us to have a great media rights year. And by the end of the year we’ll know the home for AEW going forward.”

For now, he did not mention clearly where Dynamite, Rampage, and Collision would be headed in terms of streaming platforms, but the AEW president revealed that it would be decided by the end of the year. However, did the deal mention AEW anywhere as a part of the list of sports they will feature? If not, why?

The details of the deal so far

When the deal was announced, many thought that AEW would also be included. However, at the moment, that’s not the reality. Despite the fact that AEW’s broadcast rights are owned by Warner Bros. Discovery, the company has not included AEW among the sports brands that will be part of this new alliance. It is unknown if this is temporary while they reach a new TV deal or if they really have no interest in including AEW on the platform.

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AEW is currently in negotiations with Warner Bros. Discovery. The relationship between the two parties has been very positive so far. So it is likely that an agreement will be reached in the coming months. However, it is unclear if AEW shows will be included on this new platform. It is important to note that subscribers will have access to all the channels of the companies involved. This includes ESPN, ESPN2, ABC, FS1, FS2, truTV, TNT, TBS, and ESPN+. So fans will indirectly be able to access AEW on TNT and TBS.

For now, the project is scheduled to debut in the fall of 2024. Subscribers to this platform would also have the opportunity to combine their experience with other streaming services, including Disney+, Hulu, and/or Max.

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