AEW Partner WBD Reportedly To Launch Live Sports Tier Of Max Streaming Service

According to a new report from CNBC, Warner Bros. Discovery is planning to launch a live sports tier of their Max streaming service, possibly at an added cost for subscribers. The report states that the company is looking to launch the new tier by the beginning of the MLB playoff season, which is set to start in the beginning of October.

The report does not mention AEW, but the presence of a major new platform with live capabilities will likely play a role in the expected new TV rights deal between AEW and WBD. In the future, it's possible AEW could negotiate a deal similar to the one between WWE and Peacock owner Comcast, where the streaming service acts as a host for the promotion's video archive and hosts premium live events.

WBD will reportedly utilize Bleacher Report branding for the new Max tier, with the report stating the company was hoping to appeal to younger audiences who don't pay attention to traditional cable networks. Whether or not those younger audiences will have any feelings on the Bleacher Report brand remains to be seen. The CNBC report mentions the MLB, the NBA, the NHL, and NCAA basketball as leagues that will likely be featured on the new Max tier.

Though it is now believed to be a traditional pay-per-view, there was some speculation that AEW's upcoming All In event at Wembley Stadium in London, England would be available in a different fashion, as the event was initially not referred to as a "pay-per-view." On top of that, the company announced that their annual All Out pay-per-view will return to Chicago one week after All In, meaning the company is seemingly expecting to run two major pay-per-views within eight days.