Dave Meltzer Analyzes Latest Development In AEW Broadcast Rights Negotiations

The ongoing negotiations between AEW and Warner Brothers Discovery took another twist this week, as WBD announced they had matched the number Amazon had bid to secure the rights to the NBA. This was reportedly expected from a number of people with knowledge of the situation, but it's unclear whether the NBA will accept WBD's offer, due to the fact that the league wants a bigger streaming presence rather than airing strictly on TV.

With WBD bidding around $1.9 Billion to retain the rights to the NBA, many wrestling fans have questioned what this means for AEW, given that their negotiations with WBD have yet to finish. On the latest "Wrestling Observer Radio," Dave Meltzer offered some insight into how this could factor into AEW's situation. "It's probably not a good thing for AEW, because that's a lot of money that I don't know if [WBD] can really afford," Meltzer said. "They would have to go more into debt to get it, but I don't think they're really going to pay that."

Meltzer believes WBD will receive a settlement to allow the NBA to go to Amazon, as they might be matching the dollar amount on paper, but not the details of the deal such as streaming presence. However, there is a possibility these talks won't effect AEW at all, considering many people believe the deal between AEW and WBD has already been finalized. If that isn't the case, the fact that WBD are willing to hand over nearly $2 Billion will have a big impact on the company's budget when negotiating with AEW.

Please credit "Wrestling Observer Radio" when using quotes from this article, and give a H/T to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.