Update on AEW & Warner Bros Discovery Finalizing New Media Rights Deal – AEW Rampage Expected to Be Canceled for AEW’s New Media Rights Deal

As noted before, AEW’s television deal with Warner Bros Discovery is currently expected to expire at the end of this year and their exclusivity window for talks with WBD for a potential new media rights deal expired at the end of this past July. AEW and WBD are currently believed to be close to finalizing a new media rights deal that would be 3-4 years in length and worth in the ballpark of around $170 million per year.

Dave Meltzer reported in a special preview edition of this week’s Wrestling Observer Newsletter that AEW is currently believed to be getting around $85 million per year for their current deal with Warner Bros Discovery for Dynamite, Rampage, and Collision. Meltzer reported that based on the belief of AEW’s new deal is worth at least double of their current deal, this would give a number of $170 million per year that Puck’s John Ourand recently reported as its figure.

Meltzer speculated that based on Ourand’s report stating that AEW would air on TNT, TBS, and TruTV twice a week for the terms of their new deal, that would seem to indicate that TruTV will either be airing replays or live simulcasts of AEW shows. Meltzer reported that this would make sense if AEW was only airing Dynamite and Collision.

Meltzer reported that one source spoken to stated that AEW’s Rampage show is currently expected to not be continued and will be canceled for AEW’s new media rights deal. This same source reportedly also stated that AEW is currently shopping around a new third weekly show, likely to be called AEW Shockwave, to FOX and other networks.

Meltzer reported that nobody within AEW spoken to has confirmed or commented about Rampage’s future status nor any other details regarding AEW’s new media rights deals.

In regards to MAX, Meltzer reported that those close to the situation spoken to confirmed that MAX will be part of AEW’s PPV package for their new media rights deal. Meltzer reported that the exact form this will be for AEW’s PPVs is currently not known. Meltzer also reported that it is currently not known if MAX is included in the $170 million per year package or will be separate from it. Meltzer reported that AEW had a non-TV rights revenue around $21.3 million to $22.5 million per year based on their current PPV events schedule. AEW reportedly gross around $91 million to $107 million in non-U.S. television rights revenue for 2023.

Meltzer also reported that the expected revenues for AEW for their new media rights deal would be more than enough to wipe out all of the previous five years worth of losses. Meltzer also reported that this would guarantee AEW would become the second most successful company in wrestling history in terms of profitability, only behind WWE.