AEW Reportedly In Good Position With WBD Ahead Of TV Rights Talks

There's been speculation over whether or not AEW is in good standing with Warner Bros. Discovery. While the partnership appeared to be rosy at first, the Discovery merger left many questioning if the change could leave AEW looking for a new broadcast home. As it turns out, things don't appear to be too bad between both sides.

Fightful Select reports that sources indicate Warner Bros. Discovery has been pleased with the AEW product. The report notes that a good sign in terms of the relationship between both sides is the fact that Warner Bros. Discovery has publicly discussed adding more AEW content. Fightful previously reported that work on another documentary was underway, further buoying the strength of the relationship.

A longtime Warner Bros. Discovery employee told Fightful that it would be surprising if AEW doesn't receive an extended offer that includes a sizable increase in rights fees. The report mentioned that both parties have been quite open as far as projects are concerned, so communication isn't an issue. The source also mentioned that 2022 is being looked at by TV networks as a bounce-back year for the wrestling industry. The general feeling is that both AEW and WWE are coming up on renewal deals at the perfect time.

Back in October, Warner Bros. Discovery Chief Content Officer, Kathleen Finch, touted the success of AEW. At the time, Finch hinted at more non-wrestling-related AEW content in the future. Finch said that AEW "pulls huge numbers" during an interview with "The Hollywood Reporter."