The blockbuster acquisition of the broadcast rights for “WWE Raw” by streaming giant Netflix may have some wrestling fans nervous that AEW is also about to move to streaming. But that doesn’t appear to be the case, according to AEW president Tony Khan. Khan spoke with the media before Sunday’s AEW Dynasty pay-per-view event and said that his promotion is still in an exclusive negotiating window that will keep AEW programming on TNT and TBS moving forward. He also gave fans an important update regarding the possibility of streaming AEW archive content.
- Khan says negotiations with WBD have been “amazing” thus far.
- He confirmed that the destination for AEW shows past 2025 has yet to be determined.
- Viewers can currently watch live AEW events on Max, as well as DIRECTV STREAM, Hulu + Live TV, Sling TV and other streamers.
Khan said during this weekend’s media call that negotiations with TBS and TNT parent company Warner Bros. Discovery have been “amazing” to this point. The wrestling promotion’s flagship show “AEW: Dynamite” airs on TBS, while “AEW: Collision” and “AEW: Rampage” are available on TNT.
Talks are ongoing, and it appears likely at this point that AEW programming will remain on Warner-owned channels for the foreseeable future. Khan said that the two sides are still working out which programs would air on which channels, but made sure to reiterate “how important” the talks were and how much he valued WBD as a media partner.
Khan also provided an update for fans who want to stream older AEW content on-demand. The promotion had reportedly been in talks with WBD about potentially offering a streaming solution for AEW’s libraries in September 2023, but no deal was struck at that time. But Khan knows how important the ability to stream AEW titles on-demand is to fans, and says the AEW team is hard at work on it, and it sounds like Max is still the most likely destination.
“We’ve had hundreds of episodes of ‘Dynamite,’ ‘Rampage,’ and now ‘Collision’ is approaching a one-year anniversary,” Khan said. “We’ve done so many great pay-per-view events, I think over the past five years a large percentage of the best events on pay-per-view in wrestling have been AEW. The whole library had never been in one place together. There’s no place to really go back and watch all these ‘Dynamites’ and all these great events. So, an archived library and a place to put streaming events, it’s a really interesting idea. Wrestling fans are able to watch a lot of events on streaming, and the AEW events should be up there. It’s something I expect to happen in our next media rights deal.”
Where Can You Stream AEW Wrestling Now?
AEW shows appearing on TBS and TNT can currently be streamed live on Max for as little as $9.99 per month. The Bleacher Report Sports Add-On carries live sports events broadcast on both channels. Although WBD does plan to start charging $9.99 per month in addition to subscription rates for this add-on sometime at some point this summer, it’s currently available at no extra charge.
DIRECTV STREAM carries TNT and TBS in its base ENTERTAINMENT Package ($79.99 per month), and offers all new customers a five-day free trial. Viewers can also get a subscription to Max for three months at no cost with a DIRECTV STREAM account, so if that streamer does become the home of archived AEW content, viewers will get access to it for 90 days free.
Hulu + Live TV carries TBS and TNT, allowing fans to watch all AEW shows on those channels. Viewers will also be able to take advantage of the free access to the Disney Bundle that comes with Hulu + Live TV; ESPN+ carries a wide range of combat sports-related programming, including shows about boxing, UFC updates and highlights, the Professional Fighters League and more.
Sling TV is a fantastic way to watch AEW content on TBS and TNT. This streamer allows viewers to watch both channels in either of its base plans for just $40 per month, and it currently offers first-time customers an excellent discount: 50% off their first month’s subscription no matter which plan they choose.
YouTube TV’s base plan starts at $72.99 per month and includes both TNT and TBS in its channel lineup. However, because it does not offer any free streaming services bundled into its subscription price, nor does it provide viewers with a special introductory discount, it is last on our list of streamers you can use to watch AEW wrestling.
DTVSTREAM | Fubo | Hulu | Philo | SlingTV | YouTube | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Free Trial | Free Trial | Free 3-Day Trial | Free Trial | Get $25 OFF | Sign Up | |||
$79.99 | $94.99 | $76.99 | $28 | $40 | $40 | $72.99 | ||
TBS | ✓ | - | ✓ | - | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | |
TNT | ✓ | - | ✓ | - | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |