WBD Reported To Own A Stake In AEW As More Details Emerge About New Media Rights Deal

On Wednesday, it was reported that AEW had finally come to terms on a new agreement with Warner Bros. Discovery regarding AEW's media rights, extending the partnership between the two entities beyond the original five years. Shortly thereafter, WBD officially announced a new multi-year deal with Tony Khan's company, and in the wake of the announcement, new details have emerged, not only about the nature of AEW's presence on WBD streaming service Max but also in WBD's interest in AEW.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, not only will AEW be streaming on Max during live broadcasts but the AEW TV library will also be on Max, meaning episodes of "Dynamite" and "Collision" that were only available by DVR will soon be available to stream. AEW programming is set to start streaming on Max in January 2025, just as "WWE Raw" is making the move to Netflix. WBD has clearly taken a vested interest in AEW, which makes sense, as the company could own a portion of the promotion.

Further reporting from Sports Business Journal says that WBD owns an undisclosed stake in the company AEW. This confirms rumors that have long-dogged the promotion that the parent company to the Turner Networks on which it airs could have a stake in the fledgling wrestling promotion. The revelation is especially interesting amidst the understanding that AEW was negotiating with other networks once the exclusivity clause in the negotiations between AEW and WBD expired. There are rumors that AEW could be debuting a Friday night show on Fox, as Fox has lost its Friday night show in "SmackDown" and AEW appears to be about to lose its Friday night show in the form "Rampage," which has gone unmentioned in the recent announcements.