The professional wrestling industry made a notable impact in Variety’s annual “Dealmakers” list, with AEW’s Tony Khan and WWE’s Nick Khan, alongside several TKO executives, being recognized for their significant contributions to negotiations shaping the sports and entertainment landscape.
Tony Khan, AEW CEO, earned the top spot on the list due to AEW’s landmark multi-year media rights agreement with Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD). This deal, reportedly valued at $185 million annually, secures the continued airing of AEW’s flagship shows, Dynamite and Collision, on TBS and TNT while also making them available for simulcast on the Max streaming platform.
Variety emphasized the importance of this deal, noting, AEW will be “the first professional wrestling promotion to simulcast events weekly on top cable channels and a top streaming platform.”
The publication also noted AEW’s impressive estimated valuation, “The company is now valued at more than $2 billion, making it the third-most-valuable combat sports company in the world.”
WWE’s Nick Khan and TKO executives Ari Emanuel, Mark Shapiro, and Andrew Schleimer were recognized for their instrumental roles in securing WWE’s historic $5.2 billion decade-long partnership with Netflix. This deal highlights the growing demand for professional wrestling content on global platforms.
Schleimer underscored the partnership’s far-reaching impact, stating, “downstream impact and ancillary benefits to being with the distributor and just south of 300 million homes globally.” will amplify WWE’s global reach and influence.
The recognition of these executives on the “Dealmakers” list reflects professional wrestling’s rising prominence in the entertainment industry. With these groundbreaking deals, AEW and WWE continue to set benchmarks, positioning wrestling as a powerful player in global sports and entertainment.
