AEW will be profitable this year thanks to a new TV deal signed with TNT that extends Dynamite’s run on the network through the end of 2023. In the latest edition of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, Dave Meltzer gives out some facts and figures about the contract. The company will earn $175 million in rights fees, or $45 million a year. Fees will go up each year of the contract, and TNT will no longer be covering production costs. There is an option for TNT to buy an additional year at a greatly increased price, meaning that AEW won’t be able to negotiate a new contract and take advantage of increased momentum until 2025.
The deal also includes a second show. Meltzer reports that TNT wanted AEW Dark on their network, but All Elite Wrestling wants to produce a new program and keep Dark on YouTube. If this does end up being the case, it will be an additional hour of TV taped every Wednesday, meaning that Dynamite tapings could stretch significantly. While TNT is the likely home for this new show, that’s not guaranteed, and it might end up on another WarnerMedia station. Meltzer reports that Tony Khan has an agreement to not counterprogram the NFL, meaning that the show won’t air on Sunday, Monday or Thursday.
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