Tony Khan Talks Pitching AEW Dynamite To Other Networks

AEW Dynamite recently celebrated its 1-year anniversary on TNT. Tony Khan was interviewed by the Bleacher Report and noted that there were other networks interested in the program but he is happy with where it ended up.

“It was a long process. It was probably about a year from when I started pitching the show to when it got picked up. There were other networks interested in it, but I think we ended up at the best possible place for us,” Khan said to Bleacher Report. “TNT is where I always wanted to go. From a marketing standpoint, there was such a great promotional push around the debut and they [TNT] were so happy with the results that we got a four-year contract extension all within the first four months. It was a very successful debut, but it was a long road to get there.”

Also during the interview, Khan spoke about being a fantasy booker growing up and dreaming of having a wrestling show on TNT.

“I’ve been writing shows in notebooks, Microsoft Word files and even Word Perfect going back to 1995. As a kid, I dreamed of having a wrestling show on TNT, and it felt like one of my most unrealistic dreams because there was no vacancy on TNT. After WCW folded and the assets were sold off, I still thought it was really unrealistic until I got to know the company.”

AEW has actually produced more episodes of Dynamite in the pandemic-era than before it. With live crowds restricted in most places, the TV rights AEW receives for Dynamite plays a more important role in the company’s bottom-line. Khan also spoke about how just because they can have packed crowds in Florida now, doesn’t necessarily mean they will do so.

“Live events have changed in the past year, more so probably than in all the previous years combined. TV rights now more than ever are the most important revenue stream. Now all of a sudden, things are possible to do legally. That doesn’t mean you should try to pack the place.”