In simply over 5 years All Elite Wrestling has modified the panorama {of professional} wrestling world wide. This isn’t a take that must be litigated or debated, as a result of it stands as goal fact. The most important challenger to WWE since WCW, the corporate has successfully ended WWE’s vice-like monopoly of the game, offering extra alternatives to expertise than ever earlier than, and having a knock-on impact that’s compelled everybody to enhance their product for the betterment of wrestlers and expertise.
On the heart of this revolution is AEW founder and CEO Tony Khan, who has turn out to be a lightning rod for criticism — a few of which is deserved, some unfairly leveled resulting from wrestling’s rampant model tribalism. I spoke with Khan in regards to the first 5 years of AEW, how the corporate has modified, and what looms on the horizon for followers.
The most important hurdle for any sports activities model isn’t getting its first TV deal, however touchdown its essential second. Networks are keen to take a big gamble on new programming, however following that up is the place the rubber meets the street. In early September AEW introduced a brand new multi-year contract with Warner Bros. Discovery, which is able to preserve its weekly programming on TBS and TNT, whereas additionally increasing to incorporate the Max streaming service.
“It’s going to be a really thrilling time for AEW in the beginning of 2025,” Khan says. “We are going to make historical past as the primary ever simulcast professional wrestling present throughout TV and streaming.” The AEW CEO says that he at all times hoped a deal can be reached to maintain his program with Warner. Apart from the cash, retaining wrestling on TBS and TNT has a number of private significance for him as a die-hard wrestling far for almost all of his life.
“There’s this actually nice custom of professional wrestling on TBS and TNT that goes again 50 years,” Khan says, “and it’s actually particular that AEW is now a part of that custom.” By way of what’s modified for AEW from these first preliminary exhibits in 2019 to now, Khan sees it extra as a continuation of what he wished his firm to be.
“The objective we’ve at all times had in thoughts was this media rights renewal. We wish it to be a hit. For the entire firm, for followers, and attain an settlement that might set AEW up for the long run. I believe that’s what we’ve executed with the settlement we made right here.”
When requested if it was tough to honor the custom of wrestling on TBS and TNT with out invoking WCW (which WWE owns the library and emblems for), Khan acknowledged that it was at instances, however was fast to notice that he considers the legacy of wrestling on Turner Broadcasting to return earlier than WCW, to Georgia Championship Wrestling, and the years of success in the course of the territory system.
Now there are new “territories” in wrestling, so to talk. The game is extra international that at any level in historical past, with unparalleled cross-promotion between completely different wrestling corporations worldwide. For AEW it’s two greatest agreements are with CMLL in Mexico, and New Japan Professional Wrestling (NJPW). I requested whether or not these agreements might result in a multi-promotion title being established to really crown a unified “world champion” of wrestling.
“We’re coming into a brand new section of our partnership with New Japan Professional Wrestling on the verge of Wrestle Dynasty. So there’s likelihood there I believe to deepen the partnership between AEW and NJPW and strengthen it. We’ve acquired a terrific likelihood to construct on the success of Forbidden Door and develop a brand new three way partnership at Wrestle Dynasty that may be a nice praise to Wrestle Kingdom. It ought to make for a wonderful two nights of wrestling on the Tokyo Dome.”
Together with this massive worldwide enterprise comes a large shift to AEW’s pay-per-view slate in 2025, with its greatest stadium present “All In” transferring from London’s Wembley Stadium to Globe Life Area in Arlington, Texas — residence of the Texas Rangers. It will likely be the primary AEW present to happen in a baseball stadium, and I requested Khan how that can change the character of the present.
“AEW All In is greater than a tentpole for us. I believe it’s a large wrestling establishment. We launched it to nice success in London, and I’m excited to convey that to Arlington, Texas on July 12, 2025. Tickets are on sale now, and it’s a large enterprise. It’s been many years since any various wrestling promotion has tried to run a significant stadium present in a baseball or soccer stadium. That’s what we’re going to strive right here, and I believe it’s a really daring play that can be rewarded.”
There are a number of issues to nonetheless work on for AEW. Even ardent followers have been important of the corporate’s storytelling proper now, and are ready to see how key abilities are built-in again into the roster after struggling important accidents which have induced them to overlook time.
The hope is that with the media rights deal now executed AEW can return to focus extra on the artistic aspect of their enterprise, and that can take their programming past unbelievable in-ring performances and make it a extra well-rounded firm.
One factor is for certain: AEW is on the verge of changing into the longest-running wrestling TV present that isn’t WWE. With 20 extra episodes AEW Dynamite will surpass WCW Monday Nitro for many episodes from a non-WWE present. There are challenges alongside the way in which, however Tony Khan and AEW are prepared for no matter comes subsequent.
