Paramount Skydance’s acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery has raised new questions about AEW‘s future in the United States, although there is still no official indication that the new leadership intends to cut back on Tony Khan’s promotion.
Dave Meltzer said on Wrestling Observer Radio that an unnamed wrestling promotion believes AEW could run into trouble because of Paramount’s relationship with TKO Group Holdings, the company led by Ari Emanuel.
That concern reportedly stems from negotiations in 2025. Meltzer said the unnamed promotion had been in talks with top Paramount executives about a possible deal with Paramount+ and was confident an agreement would come together. But things went cold after UFC’s deal with the streaming service was announced.
“They don’t know, but their thought was it was Ari Emanuel and their thought is AEW’s in trouble.”
The agreement in question involves UFC, which TKO also controls, rather than WWE. The seven-year partnership put all of UFC’s numbered events and Fight Nights on Paramount+ in the United States starting in 2026. Some major events also air on CBS, and there is no additional pay-per-view charge.
AEW’s situation, however, is quite different. The promotion has a multiyear deal with Warner Bros. Discovery under which Dynamite and Collision air on TBS and TNT and are simulcast on HBO Max. AEW pay-per-views are also available on HBO Max to subscribers in the United States.
AEW President Tony Khan has been optimistic about the merger. In a July interview with Yahoo Finance, he said:
“I think that’s fantastic.”
Meltzer added that Khan and Paramount CEO David Ellison know each other through the NFL and have already spoken. There has also been talk in wrestling circles of possible AEW specials on CBS and even a change to the pay-per-view model, similar to what Paramount did with UFC.
The $110 billion deal between Paramount and WBD cleared its last major legal hurdle on Monday, Sept. 21, paving the way for the acquisition to close.