Tony Khan Discusses AEW's 'Complicated' Negotiations With WBD

With the current television rights deal between All Elite Wrestling and Warner Brothers Discovery set to expire at the end of the year, both sides have begun discussions about the possibility of renewing it. During a recent interview with "SportsGrid," AEW President Tony Khan shared an update on their conversations, indicating while they've leaned in an overall positive direction, the negotiation process itself is rather complex.

"We're having great conversations at Warner Brothers Discovery, definitely that it's a great home for pro wrestling. TBS is the station that has the longest history of hosting pro wrestling of any channel in America. We're really excited about having AEW every Wednesday on TBS and every weekend on TNT," Khan said. 

"I think it's awesome and we're having great conversations with Warner Brothers Discovery. [WBD CEO and President] Mr. Zaslav himself has been really great, very engaged. We're trying to figure this out. It's a very complicated thing. It's a big media rights package. I'm very excited to keep working hopefully for a long time with Warner Brothers Discovery. We're having a great time here and we have a great relationship with the management. Mr. Zaslav, in particular, has been fantastic to us."

In another recent interview, Khan noted that discussions between AEW and WBD were nearing the metaphorical end zone. This indication lines up with previous reports circling the summer or fall of 2024 as the likely time frame for the company to make an official announcement on their new television rights deal. The projected length of this expected deal is still unknown, although Khan is hoping for AEW to remain under the WBD umbrella forever.

If you use any of the quotes in this article, please credit "SportsGrid" with a h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.