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The winds of change could be blowing for AEW as it prepares for the third-annual Forbidden Door Pay-Per-View this Sunday. As it puts the pieces in place for the second half of 2024, a major update has now dropped regarding the relationship between the Jacksonville-based promotion and its partner network, Warner Bros. Discovery.
AEW and WBD have been partners since 2019, and Tony Khan's promotion hosts three weekly programs across TBS and TNT. The current contract binding the two is set to expire soon, and the exclusive negotiating window is reportedly due to close within the next month. At that point, All Elite Wrestling would be able to field offers from other networks.
According to a new report from Fightful Select, sources within both WBD and AEW expect their relationship to continue, although a deal hasn't currently been hammered out. The report claims that an offer from the network is on the table, but the two sides are still negotiating.
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It's said that Warner Bros. Discovery is interested in getting AEW's pay-per-views on its MAX streaming service, and the two sides are also discussing which nights, time slots, and programming blocks work best. With Rampage having been tacked onto three-hour blocks for both Dynamite and Collision at different points this year, it seems both parties are monitoring the effect of different setups.
Fightful also noted that All Elite Wrestling and Warner Bros. Discovery are working closely on collaborations and cross-promotional marketing opportunities, including crossovers with WBD programming and the recent Reebok deal for The Young Bucks. It's been revealed that the two sides hold meetings every Monday to discuss creative plans and integrations.
AEW expected to announce new TV deal imminently
As mentioned, the exclusive negotiating window between AEW and WBD is expected to close soon. While there are few details on the talks being had behind the scenes, it seems that an agreement is on the horizon.
According to the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, the announcement of a new contract is expected to be made "imminently," perhaps before the negotiating window expires.
While some fans believe that All Elite Wrestling's relationship with its partner network must be in trouble, it's been reiterated several times that the two are very happy with their current relationship. Whether they're able to hammer out a deal in the next few weeks remains to be seen.
