It's Way, Way Too Early To Forecast AEW's TV Fate After WBD/Paramount TakeOver (AEW News)
What does the impending Paramount/WBD merger mean for AEW right now?
As Paramount closes in on Warner Bros. Discovery, wrestling fans continue to ponder what this merger could mean for AEW.
Of course, AEW Dynamite currently airs on TNT, and AEW Collision airs on TBS, with TNT and TBS falling under the wider WBD banner. And with Paramount in the midst of a multi-year, multi-billion dollar deal with UFC - a sister company of WWE's under TKO - there is some uncertainty whether Paramount would be open to re-upping with AEW when their current deal ends, or whether this merger may play a part in Tony Khan's promotion needing to find a new home.
Speaking on the latest Wrestling Observer Radio, Dave Meltzer said that the Paramount/Warner Bros. Discovery merger is "giant" for AEW, but that it was too early to say whether this was "giant good or giant bad". Meltzer speculated that there's a chance that AEW programming could move to streaming through Paramount, much like UFC does, though UFC also has its CBS specials, too.
The Observer founder noted that another unnamed wrestling company had been in talks to stream on Paramount+ a year ago, and there was confidence that an agreement could be reached. Obviously, a deal never came to fruition, and this was at a time before the seven-year, $7.7 billion deal came together with UFC.
For those wondering, AEW's existing TV deal runs through the end of 2027, with an option to extend that deal to 2028.
As for the latest in the Paramount and Warner Bros. Discovery merger, that took one major step forward earlier this week when Paramount reached an antitrust settlement with California and several other states, helping to clear the way for Paramount to assimilate WBD for $110 billion.