AEW is celebrating for many reasons this week. Amid the Dynamite Fifth Anniversary festivities, the company announced its new media rights deal with Warner Bros. Discovery. New details are being revealed on just how profitable Tony Khan's young promotion will be next year.
All Elite Wrestling is set to be profitable for the first time since launching in 2019. AEW and WBD have agreed to a new TV deal, originally reported to be worth more than $150 million per year. Dynamite and Collision will remain in their current timeslots but will simulcast on MAX in the United States in January. The deal will also bring All Elite pay-per-view events to MAX at a discounted rate later in the year.
AEW will finally be "very profitable" moving forward, according to the Wrestling Observer Newsletter. Variety originally reported the deal to be upwards of $150 million per year. However, The Observer notes that this is on the conservative side as the deal is said to be worth $555 million over three years, or around $185 million per year.
The reported figure does not include pay-per-view revenue for AEW. The Observer adds that $95 million from the new deal would be added to the company's numbers for 2025, which leaves around $61 million in profits on the low side, or $76 million as the best-case scenario for 2025, if not a little less due to a potential drop in attendance, pay-per-view buys, or merchandise sales.
The new AEW - WBD deal runs from January 1, 2025, through December 31, 2027. There is an option for a fourth year to run through 2028, and if that happens, there will be a significant increase in the amount.
Chris Jericho and Mercedes Moné set for AEW Rampage
All Elite Wrestling is set to air the 165th episode of Rampage tonight on TNT. The show was taped earlier this week at the Petersen Events Center in Pittsburgh.
Officials packed Rampage with star power this week as The Elite, Mercedes Moné, and others will be appearing. Below is the updated lineup:
- Kamille will be in action with Mercedes Moné at her side
- Harley Cameron vs. Queen Aminata
- Big Bill and Bryan Keith vs. Orange Cassidy and Kyle O'Reilly, with Chris Jericho on commentary
- The Young Bucks and Jack Perry vs. Katsuyori Shibata and Private Party
Saturday's Collision was taped last night in Toledo. The company will be in Spokane for a special Title Tuesday Dynamite, then in Tacoma next Saturday for WrestleDream.