AEW Media Partner WBD Officially Merges With Paramount, Now Known As Skydance

After over a year of rejections, agreements in principle, and lawsuits attempting to block it, the merger between AEW's media partner Warner Brothers Discovery and Paramount Skydance has finally come to fruition. Deadline reports that the $110 billion merger officially closed on Tuesday morning. The new company will now go forward as Skydance, and shares for that name will be available to trade on the stock market later today, while shares for both WBD and Paramount have been discontinued.

While the merger will have long lasting effects on the media landscape, perhaps most notably on cable news and the film and television industry, it has gotten a lot of attention in the pro wrestling bubble due to the potential ramifications it could have on AEW's future on TBS and TNT. The promotion's media rights deal is set to continue till at least the start of 2028, with the potential to be extended into 2029 due to an option.

It remains to be seen if Skydance will have any interest in AEW or professional wrestling in general, though AEW owner Tony Khan has expressed optimism that AEW's relationship with TNT and TBS would continue thanks to his good relationship with Skydance CEO David Ellison. Because of the time left on AEW's contract, however, it's likely there will be few, if any changes, regarding the promotion's standing in the immediate future.

As such, AEW's focus will likely remain on the present, starting with today's double taping of "AEW Dynamite" and "AEW Collision" for their "Grand Slam: Paris" specials, with the "Dynamite" portion scheduled to air tonight. The show will be headlined by Will Ospreay defending the AEW Men's World Championship against long-time rival Kazuchika Okada, while Mercedes Mone will make her first defense of the AEW Women's World Championship against Queen Aminata.