When AEW and Warner Bros. Discovery first announced their new media rights deal last year, it included the news that the pro wrestling promotion’s pay-per-views would eventually air on HBO Max.
Nearly a year later, that day has now arrived, with HBO announcing on Wednesday that the first AEW pay-per-view to air on its streaming service will be AEW All Out on Saturday, Sept. 20.
According to a release, AEW pay-per-views that air on HBO Max will cost $39.99, providing a discount from their traditional $49.99 price tag (although an HBO Max subscription will also be required to purchase). The announcement also means that HBO Max will carry all of AEW’s live events, as well as its entire archive library, as the platform has been simulcasting AEW’s weekly shows, Dynamite and Collision, since the new rights deal went into effect at the start of this year.
As for HBO Max, the move marks the streaming service’s first significant foray into pay-per-view offerings. The news comes four months after the platform rebranded to its original name after years of going by just “Max” and ahead of the impending Warner Bros. Discovery split that will see Warner Bros. possess the company’s streaming and studio assets while Discovery Global lays claim to its legacy cable offerings, including TNT Sports.
At this point, it’s unclear where AEW will fit into that split, as the promotion possesses a significant presence on both WBD’s linear and streaming platforms. Speaking to Yahoo Finance in June, AEW owner Tony Khan downplayed any negative impact the WBD split could have on his company.
“We have great relationships with everybody at the top,” Khan said. “[Warner Bros. CEO] Mr. [David] Zaslav himself put our deal together. [Discovery Global CEO] Gunnar [Wiedenfels]… also was very involved in our deal as the CFO. The two of them and [WBD chief revenue and strategy officer] Bruce Campbell really negotiated this deal with AEW and myself and my team. So on both sides, we’ve got the great relationships and both sides that really love AEW and have come to be great partners with AEW.”
In addition to the HBO Max announcement, AEW also revealed that All Out‘s main card will begin at 3 p.m. ET. That means the show won’t be going head to head against WWE’s Wrestlepalooza show, which will mark the pro wrestling giant’s debut on ESPN’ streaming service.
About Ben Axelrod
Ben Axelrod is a veteran of the sports media landscape, having most recently worked for NBC's Cleveland affiliate, WKYC. Prior to his time in Cleveland, he covered Ohio State football and the Big Ten for outlets including Cox Media Group, Bleacher Report, Scout and Rivals.