Tony Khan, AEW’s head, spoke to the press for an hour on Thursday, ahead of Saturday’s All Out.
He gave updates about his impending renewal of TV rights with likely partner WBD. He also provided updates on Powerhouse Hobbs, Mark Davis and their injuries, as well as Sting’s position with the company.
He also shared a “crazy stat.”
You can listen to the entire audio of the call below.
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Khan has continued to strongly suggest that WBD will renew their TV rights and they are continuing to have a “great conversation” with them. Khan did not give a timetable, but said that recent media reports regarding the deal were accurate. He did not specify which ones.
Khan believes that AEW is likely to become the second most profitable wrestling company in history within the first few months after the deal takes effect. The deal did not include any financial terms or an increase in rights fees.
He said again that the deal is in red zone and it will be a “huge touchdown” for AEW. It’s waiting to be pushed into place.
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Khan said he learned a lot during the TV rights negotiation about AEW’s fans, including some things he didn’t know about his own company.
He then discussed how much wrestling fans had changed in terms knowing the news and business. He said that it’s a new golden age and AEW has become a major part of the conversation about wrestling. He used the word avidity several times in this part of the call.
He called one stat “insane”: AEW is the league whose viewers spend the most money per month on streaming videos. He did not give any details or cite the source of that statistic.
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Khan was asked if Sting remained on any type of AEW contract, given his recent appearances at All In. Khan did not answer directly but said that Sting was part of the “AEW Family” and had recently been backstage in Dallas during their residency in Arlington.
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Mark Davis and Powerhouse Hobbs were also updated on their injuries. He confirmed Hobbs was backstage to see doctors recently, and that Davis underwent surgery on his left arm. He did not give a timeline for either Hobbs or Davis’ return, nor did he say if Davis will be paired with Aussie Open partner Mark Davis when he returns.
Other notes:
- Asked about a potential women’s Casino gauntlet match perhaps at All Out, Khan said he thinks it would good to build one up and advertise it in the future. He wouldn’t commit to doing one this weekend.
- Asked about their relationship with GCW and Josh Barnett, Khan said he likes and respects Barnett a lot but doesn’t really know the GCW team that well.
Tony Khan AEW Media Call: Latest on WBD Negotiations, Injuries, Sting, and ‘insane’ stat in todays Wrestling news, Chatalong Chatbox, Results will be Hidden inside a spoiler Button so you will not bet spoiled about direct results.
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