Fresh off the latest developments, WWE has as of late let slip a multi-year content deal with Bleacher Report, sparking speculation about its potential impact on AEW (All Elite Wrestling), given Bleacher Report’s affiliation with TNT Sports and Warner Bros. Discovery.
According to a report from Fightful Select, a source within Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD) stated that the new WWE deal will not affect AEW’s existing agreement with WBD. This source indicated that Bleacher Report has similar arrangements with other sports leagues and a comparable deal with AEW.
Citing another source within WBD, mike Johnson of PWInsider.com corroborated Fightful’s findings. This source confirmed that the WWE deal is a global agreement between TNT Sports and does not affect AEW. The report states that the AEW deal includes “exclusivity” in the U.S., while the WWE deal is global and akin to WBD’s agreements with the NFL, NHL, and other sports leagues. In a connected development, additionally, Johnson mentioned that WBD is “exceptionally happy” with its present partnership with AEW.
Moreover, Johnson noted that the source suggested the WWE deal with Bleacher Report could ultimately benefit AEW. More resources may be allocated to cover professional wrestling, and WWE’s content might attract additional viewers to AEW programming. Importantly, the moment was also noted that the WWE deal does not include any clauses that would prevent Bleacher Report from covering or promoting AEW content.