Stop if you’ve heard this before, but Tony Khan has a major announcement to make.
But while most of the AEW owner and president’s previous teases have paid off to varying degrees, this one might be his most highly touted yet.
“Thank you all who watch AEW as we approach indelible times in our history with #AEWAllIn London @wembleystadium weeks away, + the most important announcements in AEW history looming large now!” Khan posted to X while teasing this past Saturday’s episode of AEW Collision.
Like most of his previous teases — which have ranged from the purchase of Ring of Honor to new championship titles and shows — there isn’t much intrigue regarding what the actual announcement likely is. But if the speculation that Khan’s impending announcement is a new media rights deal is proven correct, then this might be the rare occasion of one of his highly hyped teases actually paying off.
Dating back to May, Khan has been open about the reality that his pro wrestling promotion is in the midst of negotiating its next media rights deal, with its current one with Warner Bros. Discovery reportedly set to expire at the end of the year. Ultimately, the nature of the deal will prove pivotal to AEW’s outlook moving forward and could very well make the company profitable for the first time since its inception in 2019.
“Right now is the most important time ever in AEW. We’re on the verge of the most important deal we’ll ever make, this upcoming media rights, and it’s been great working with Warner Brothers Discovery on the future,” Khan told Case the Producer from Q101’s Brian & Kenzie Morning Show last week, per Fightful. “For all these years, we’ve had so much great experience with Warner Brothers Discovery, and now, under the leadership of David Zaslav, the company, for us, the connection, the things we’ve been able to do, I think it’s getting stronger and stronger.”
Those comments seemingly indicate that AEW has only been negotiating with WBD regarding its next deal, despite the two sides having reportedly exited their exclusive negotiating window without an agreement. It’s also worth noting that Khan hasn’t necessarily been a reliable narrator regarding AEW’s ongoing negotiations, as it was in June that he stated that a renewal with WBD was “in the red zone.”
AEW did, however, receive what appeared to be good news last week with TNT announcing a new show — TNT Overdrive — featuring AEW talent. Time will tell whether Khan’s latest big announcement lives up to the hype as the clock continues to tick on the company’s next media rights deal.
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.