Even though AEW’s new media rights agreement is almost complete, a show might be canceled.
A new television deal between AEW and Warner Bros. Discovery is nearing completion or has already been finalized, as the current agreement expires at the end of the year. MAX will eventually feature pay-per-view options.
AEW is rumored to be in talks with FOX about launching a one-hour show titled Shockwave. AEW registered a trademark for this, and rumors suggest that it will air on FS1.
As previously reported by Puck, the AEW-WBD agreement is close to completion, with an announcement expected as soon as next week. It was suggested that the new deal would be four years long, with a three-year guarantee and an option year for AEW to air programming twice weekly on TBS, TNT, and TruTV.The deal is said to be worth around $170 million per year, and AEW is reportedly shopping a separate package for primarily broadcast channels.
Dave Meltzer pointed out that with AEW airing twice a week on TNT, TBS, and TruTV, as well as Dynamite and Collision, TruTV will likely receive reruns or simulcasts as it rebrands as a sports station from 8-11 p.m. EST.
Meltzer speculated, “This would confirm what another source indicated to us this past week that Rampage would not be continued, and that the third show, likely called AEW Shockwave given AEW just filed for a trademark for that term, would be the show being shopped around to FOX and likely others.”
With AEW hosting Grand Slam at New York’s Arthur Ashe Stadium and several WBD executives expected to attend, an announcement could be made then.
