All Elite Wrestling has been running their shows on the Warner Bros. Discovery network for quite some time now and the company usually gets the #1 spot among all the other programs on Wednesday nights in the key demographics, but there have been a number of reports in regards to Warner Bros. cost cutting across their entire network and it has raised some questions on what this could mean for AEW.
As previously reported, Kathleen Finch, who is the Warner Bros. Discovery US Networks Group Chair and Chief Content Officer, recently took part in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter and spoke about the future of AEW with their network and how happy they are with the huge numbers All Elite Wrestling is pulling in. It was also reported that Warner Bros. Discovery has been very happy with AEW that the network has been airing several commercials for AEW’s Dynamite during the MLB Playoff coverage on TBS and they have also been showing advertisements of AEW’s Dynamite on the backstop during a recent game between the Guardians and the Yankees at Yankee Stadium.
There were further discussions during a recent John Arezzi’s Pro Wrestling Spotlight podcast episode, where it was mentioned that the strategy in running ads of AEW’s Dynamite during TBS’ coverage of the MLB Playoffs is the Warner Bros. Discovery network is trying to make AEW into a sport and the network is even trying to push AEW into the sports category, not the entertainment category. John Arezzi also noted that they are turning the network into a more sports-centric network and they are putting their resources behind the ads to increase ratings even though it has violence and blood.
It was then indicated that AEW is someone Warner Bros’ Discovery wants to do long-term business with, but when the merger just started they absorbed the contract of AEW which wasn’t the sweetest deal for them, though they are now trying to collaborate and work together on a long-term deal and they have a lot faith behind the AEW product right now.
This is what John Arezzi said:
“They’re trying to make it a sport.” “That’s what the strategy is. The strategy is that they are pushing AEW into the sports category, not the entertainment category. They’re increasing that because of the new ownership because Warner Bros. is now Warner Bros. Discovery.”
“Everything I hear of what’s going on even with TNT, it’s gonna be turning into a more sports-centric network. So they are now putting their resources behind these promo announcements to increase ratings. So whether or not they’re tasteful in regards to the violence and the blood, there’s a method to the madness.”
“I’m privy to a lot of insider conversations at least on the Warner Bros. Discovery side. I have a lot of people there in very high executive positions that I’ve known for many years that I worked for when I was in television here in Nashville. The same people who are now the leaders of Warner Bros. Discovery on the ad sales front. They see this property, AEW, as someone they want to be in business with long-term. They had a contract which was absorbed by them when they merged that wasn’t the sweetest deal for TNT and TBS. It was kind of one-sided. So now what they are trying to do is to kind of collaborate and work together so they can work on the next long-term deal with them. I can’t get into it too much but there’s a lot of faith behind the AEW product right now from the folks at Warner Bros. Discovery.”
You can check out John Arezzi’s comments at this link. H/T to WrestlingNews.co for transcribing the quotes.
