AEW’s television deal with Warner Bros Discovery is currently expected to expire at the end of this year while their exclusivity window for talks with WBD for a potential new media rights deal is set to expire at some point in July.
Fightful Select reported that their sources stated that the recent rumors and reports of AEW and Warner Bros Discovery reaching a tentative agreement for a new media rights deal is not true. This rumor originated from a recent report from SEScoops.com who stated that both sides had recently reached a tentative agreement that will be announced in the next few weeks. This report had also stated that AEW’s new deal includes their content being made available on WBD’s MAX streaming service.
It was reported that a new deal between AEW and WBD is currently expected to be made but those spoken to within WBD stated that there is nothing “imminent” between the two sides. It was also reported that neither AEW nor WBD are currently planning to make an official announcement for a new television deal soon.
It was reported that the framework for this potential new deal has yet to be agreed upon by both sides. AEW and WBD officials reportedly still expect that a new deal will be reached and things are still amicable between the two sides for talks.
It was also reported that AEW CEO Tony Khan is currently expected to meet with WBD CEO David Zaslav in Paris, France during the upcoming 2024 Olympic Games in the city. This meeting reportedly has been in the works for months but it is not a guarantee that they will reach a deal during their meeting.
It was reported that others spoken to stated that while an offer for AEW’s broadcast rights had been made, there is still no agreement in place as of today. It was also reported that WBD had made an offer several months ago to AEW but it had not been agreed upon with negotiations still on-going.