The drama surrounding All Elite Wrestling’s supposed television deal has intensified as we draw closer to Double or Nothing, their first show as an actual wrestling company. From rumors that AEW will pay to be on television, to them have many networks trying to get them on their stations, the only thing that is sure is the uncertainty.
Today The Wrap had an exclusive update.
The All Elite Wrestling (AEW)-Turner deal is now “virtually done,” a person with knowledge of the plan tells TheWrap exclusively. Current plans call for the partnership to be announced through select press one hour before WarnerMedia’s Wednesday upfront event, the individual said.
AEW president Tony Khan and some of his wrestlers are expected to be in attendance at the Madison Square Garden — the mecca of professional wrestling — pitch to media buyers, the person told us. The presentation begins at 10 a.m. New York City time.
Current plans call for Turner to begin airing a weekly AEW wrestling show this fall on TNT.
Financial terms of the deal are not expected to be disclosed as AEW is not a publicly traded company. The leader in the space, WWE, is.
The Wrap
It was previously reported that AEW was in negotiations with Turner Sports/Warner Media by the Fight Oracle and that plans for AEW TV would be presented at the upcoming media upfront. The new report from The Wrap added that plans have been finalized on Wednesday for their public rollout plan.
Since then, complex negotiations put hopes for the upfront in jeopardy, our individual with knowledge of the talks had told us. We now know the details of the public rollout plan, which was finalized on Wednesday.
WarnerMedia has since provided media with tip sheets listing the talent planned for its upfront “blue carpet,” but AEW was not represented on those versions.
The Wrap
We are now one week away from the media upfront. This will be able to clear up all the speculation and give us some concrete answers on the television deal in place for AEW. If the upfronts don’t say anything about AEW, look for an announcement at Double or Nothing.
It has also been stated that sources have indicated that “Double or Nothing” would not be a part of the Turner deal.
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