Report: AEW-WBD Talks Have Eclipsed Notable Point In Proceedings

The exclusivity window for the ongoing media rights negotiations between Warner Bros. Discovery and AEW has reportedly expired. In a busy period for WBD, negotiations are underway with Tony Khan's promotion over a new media rights package, with additional speculation that the Max streaming service is set to be a focus. But according to Fightful Select, the exclusive negotiating window ended this week. It is yet unknown whether a deal has been agreed to. Recent reports indicated that a deal had been reached in principle, but Khan would later refute those rumblings directly, attributing blame to WWE for spreading that info. 

Khan is reportedly scheduled to meet with WBD CEO David Zaslav at the ongoing Olympic Games in Paris, with the meeting said to be set for this weekend. And WBD sources were noted as saying that there has been an extended dialogue between the companies, speaking weekly about "synergy, co-promotion, and upcoming plans." In closing, a WBD source reportedly stated that with every deal negotiated, the Max streaming platform is "in their mind."

WBD is also focusing on its lawsuit filed against the NBA, alleging that the basketball league had infringed upon their contractual right to match a media rights package offer. The legal proceedings followed back-and-forth between the NBA and WBD regarding the former's desire to move on with a multi-billion dollar deal with Amazon. WBD will look to argue that they had matched the material terms on offer from Amazon, with the complaint made that the NBA's decision was a gross misinterpretation of the agreement they signed.