All Elite Wrestling’s (AEW) TV and streaming agreements are expected to remain unaffected by the upcoming division of Warner Bros Discovery’s (WBD) streaming and TV assets, sources informed sescoops.com on Monday.
Reports from Diversity and other outlets reveal that WBD plans to separate HBO Max streaming services from its TV businesses by mid-2026. The streaming and studio division will be overseen by current WBD CEO David Zaslav, while the TV side will operate as WBD Global Network, led by WBD CFO Gunnar Widenfels.
AEW secured a three-year deal with WBD last fall to air shows on TNT, TBS, and HBO Max streaming platforms. The deal, initially reported by SESCOOPS, is valued between $175 million and $200 million annually, with WBD having the option to extend the contract for a fourth year.
AEW Dynamite and Collision were added to HBO Max in January, with Dynamite averaging about 500,000 viewers within the first month of live plus one-day metrics, fluctuating week to week by 10-20%. These streaming figures were first revealed in an exclusive report earlier this year.
Sources familiar with both AEW and WBD contracts suggest the wrestling promotion is unlikely to be impacted by the upcoming business restructuring.
Earlier this year, WBD explored selling CNN, with potential buyers including local TV broadcasters. This sale is separate from the streaming and cable asset split, which will keep CNN alongside other WBD cable channels like TNT, TBS, TRUTV, and Discovery.
Variety reports that most of WBD’s $37 billion debt will be assigned to WBD Global Properties when the split happens.
Fan Take: This news is reassuring for AEW fans as it suggests the company’s exposure on popular platforms will continue uninterrupted. Maintaining strong visibility on major TV and streaming services is crucial for AEW’s growth and could help elevate professional wrestling’s profile in the mainstream entertainment landscape.
