More Details Regarding AEW & Warner Media TV Deal
AEW and Warner Media announced a partnership today which will see pro-wrestling returning to TNT this fall. Journalist John McMullen recently provided new details regarding AEW’s deal with TNT including that the deal does not require Warner Media to pay AEW rights fees to air their show.
Context of #AEWonTNT AEW TV Deal — Platform is amazing and this is an unprecedented deal for a start-up. Confirmed from a source on the television side there are no rights fees but as we have been saying here for weeks that should not have been expected…
— John McMullen (@JFMcMullen) May 15, 2019
He did note, however, that TNT and AEW will split advertising revenue.
…It's being treated like a sports property so production fees are there and a "great" advertising split for AEW. Remember, it took @VinceMcMahon nearly 20 years of producing highly-rated television before he got a somewhat significant rights deal…
— John McMullen (@JFMcMullen) May 15, 2019
He continued to talk about how difficult it is to get a significant TV rights deal as Vince McMahon has been able to get for WWE.
“From Viacom at the turn of the century. The monster deal took over 35 years. TNA/Impact once had Hulk Hogan, Sting, and Randy Savage and couldn’t get this kind of platform. It’s an amazing deal that those in AEW are ecstatic about,” McMullen continued on Twitter.
He said AEW not being paid rights fees is what should have been expected all along.
“If it comes across as flat to some that’s because they were expecting rights fees due to some shoddy reporting,” he continued on Twitter. “Right now AEW is set up like old WWE where PPV numbers and advertising will be significant to growth. WWE remains idiot-proof because of TV deal.”
