During a recent media call for AEW Worlds End, Tony Khan, the President of AEW, made the announcement that a new media rights deal for AEW sets the company along a route towards financial gain. Some of the key takeaways from the podcast are outlined below:
Regarding the fresh contract, Khan remarks, “This is a fantastic scenario for AEW. We’ve landed a new media rights agreement that is quite significant for us for many reasons. It presents a substantial opportunity for AEW to concurrently broadcast our shows and gain new audience members through the Max streaming service. This is a massive opportunity for us and the terms of the agreement were particularly beneficial for AEW. We succeeded in securing rights fees that surpass by a large margin what we achieved in our initial five years. It transforms the financial landscape of AEW completely and is the high goal we have strived for over many years. The agreement stipulates that we focus on these four hours [of AEW Dynamite and AEW Collision].”
In reference to the restructuring of their calendar, he says, “In many ways, it’s a fresh vision for the calendar, but it’s also beneficial for the company. It enables us to concentrate more on Dynamite and Collision and invest more resources into making these shows better and growing the company. By securing rights fees that are several times higher than what we originally had, we set the company on its trajectory towards profitability, which is crucial. The company is on its way to becoming one of the most successful wrestling companies of all time, from a financial standpoint. We have expanded the business, developed it, and navigated through the startup phase, making the most of a solid media rights deal for several years. We have steadily grown, constantly investing in the company, our talent, TV, technology infrastructure, international expansion, all the while keeping this year in sights. Now, we’re only days away from reaching our ultimate goal. When I stated that the TV deal was in the red zone, that it was on the goal line, I was right. All these statements have proven to be accurate. We’ve sewn up this amazing media rights agreement that now allows us to view this as a very profitable business for the years ahead.”
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