All-Elite Wrestling, WarnerMedia extend TV deal, add new show
Deal comes just three months after AEW Dynamite's debut
Upstart sports entertainment company All-Elite Wrestling extended its television deal with WarnerMedia through 2023 in a deal that also adds another night of programming, according to a press release on Wednesday.
The extension was announced just three months after the debut of “AEW Dynamite,” the wrestling organization’s inaugural program, on TNT. The show has experienced early success, reaching 32 million viewers across all platforms.
DWYANE JOHNSON'S FATHER, HALL-OF-FAME WRESTLER, LEAVES THE RING OF LIFE
“When Tony Khan first shared with me his idea of starting a new wrestling league, I was impressed by his audacity to go up against a contender that has been the only game in town for twenty years, and ultimately believed that together we could bring his vision for a new, authentic, gritty product to bear,” Kevin Reilly, chief content officer for HBO Max and president at TNT, TBS and truTV, said referring the All-Elite Wrestling CEO. “The fans have spoken and after only three months, we have seen AEW shake up the wrestling world and this will only continue as we build upon this momentum.”
NATIONAL LACROSSE LEAGUE SCORES SPORTS BETTING DEAL WITH MGM
The deal’s financial terms were not disclosed.
AEW features several well-known wrestling stars, including former WWE wrestlers Cody Rhodes and Chris Jericho. The company has broadcast deals in several international territories, including the United Kingdom and Canada, and also operates a subscription streaming service.
PATRIOTS STAR TOM BRADY'S GILLETTE STADIUM SUITE 'CLEANED OUT': REPORT
AEW and WarnerMedia confirmed a second show would debut, but they provided few details about what form it would take. It’s unclear if AEW content will appear on HBO Max, WarnerMedia’s upcoming streaming service, which is set to debut in May.
GET FOX BUSINESS ON THE GO BY CLICKING HERE
“When we launched AEW one year ago, we wanted to start a revolution that would disrupt the wrestling business, but everyone said that it would take a strong weekly television partner to make AEW real in the eyes of everyone – above all, the fans,” Khan said in a statement. “What virtually no one realized at the time was Kevin Reilly and TNT were committed to this very same movement from Day One, and their belief in us made it possible for AEW to think and act big from the start.”
In addition to its TNT broadcasts, AEW airs its pay-per-view events on Bleacher Report Live, a WarnerMedia property.
CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXBUSINESS.COM