Tony Khan's wrestling promotion will gain a significant presence on the popular streaming service. Episodes of AEW's weekly shows, Dynamite and Collision, will simulcast on Max on Wednesday and Saturday nights, in addition to airing on TBS and TNT, respectively. Previous episodes will also be available to watch on demand. AEW's television programming has aired on WBD networks since the beginning, so the migration to Max has been a long time coming.
“This extension continues the tradition of iconic wrestling events broadcast on TBS and TNT, while establishing a new legacy for AEW through weekly live broadcasts on Max for years to come,” Khan said in a statement.
Also starting next year, AEW pay-per-view events will be offered to Max subscribers at a discounted rate. That's a notable difference from WWE's current model in the US, which allows fans to stream premium live events as part of a standard Peacock subscription without paying anything extra. But it seems that AEW is not willing to give up the revenue it generates from independent event purchases. It is not yet known what the discount will be; AEW says more details will be shared “in the coming months.”
Until now, AEW fans have had to purchase PPV from a hodgepodge of lesser-known services, including Bleacher Report and TrillerTV, or directly from a cable/satellite provider. Recently, YouTube also started offering events. But with the new deal, AEW says that “all marketing and promotions for those PPV events will focus exclusively on Max.”
The new rights deal, which amounts to about $150 million a year according to Varieties sources, is yet another example of the demand streamers have for live sports and sports-adjacent content. Warner Bros. Discovery is preparing to launch Venu Sports, which has been called the best sports streaming service with its partners Disney and Fox, later this year for $42.99 per month.
