AEW Weekly TV Show Not Airing Year Round To Be More Wrestler-Friendly?, More On Possible AEW TV Deal
As noted on Wednesday, Twitter insider @fightoracle reported that WarnerMedia/Turner Sports (TNT, TBS) was set to present All Elite Wrestling to advertisers at their 2019 Upfronts presentation on Wednesday, May 15 in New York City. This report came after it was recently stated by AEW announcer Jim Ross that AEW was close to signing with a network that many people have access to.
The Wrap now reports that Turner is in advanced talks with AEW for a weekly TV show that would likely air on TNT. It was noted that the deal is "definitely not signed" and the talks are "pretty complex" but "not imminent." It is not a sure thing that AEW will be presented at the Upfronts.
The potential deal would see a weekly AEW TV series air on TNT, but AEW would also have a multi-platform existence. The Wrap noted that Turner's Bleacher Report Live platform would be "the most sensible outpost for the sports entertainment overflow."
It's also possible that the AEW TV show wouldn't be be year-round, indicating that the promotion may have plans for an off-season. The Wrap noted, "That would likely be a combination of the newness of the league and its desire to be more wrestler-friendly than rival WWE, which has a punishing schedule for talent."
The Wrap also reported that AEW's first big event, Double Or Nothing on May 25 from Las Vegas, is set to stream on YouTube, Twitter and Facebook. It sounds like that could change as a streaming deal with a network is announced.