New AEW Media Rights Deal Announcement Reportedly Never Planned For WBD Upfronts

Rumors have been flying for weeks regarding a new AEW show, a potential new media rights deal, and the return of CM Punk. However, the Warner Bros. Discovery Upfront presentation on Wednesday only included the official announcement for "AEW Collision." Regarding a new media rights deal, PWInsider Elite is reporting, according to multiple sources, that it was never planned for that to be announced today.

The Wrestling Observer reported a week ago that the announcement of "Collision" would coincide with a new TV deal, however it was unclear if the new deal would include an increase in TV rights fees. AEW had their TV rights deal extended to a four-year, $175 million contract in January 2020, which included an agreement for the launch of "AEW Rampage" in the late summer of 2021. AEW President Tony Khan previously stated that he wasn't sweating the approaching renewal date later this year. "I expect big increases in the rights for the AEW programs and we're on a good pace to make a very lucrative deal for the AEW media rights going forward," Khan told Uproxx in February.

With "Dynamite" on TBS and "Rampage" and "Collision" on TNT, it has been revealed that "AEW All Access" will be moving to Max (formerly known as HBO Max) on June 9. "AEW Dark" and "AEW Dark: Elevation" were recently pulled from streaming on AEW's YouTube channel as it was reported that all AEW programming will air on WBD properties going forward under the new media rights deal.