All Elite Wrestling

[Duffman]

If its Turner, my guess is it'll be TruTV. JR said it'll premiere in October. Turner Sports has deals with the NBA and MLB and October is the start of the NBA season (TNT) and MLB will be in the playoffs (TBS). It'd kinda suck to launch knowing you could get bumped by baseball if it goes long. TNT is a possibility if they air on a date where the NBA isn't airing (they have games on Tuesdays and Thursdays, sometimes Mondays). It could be smart to have the NBA start its season and air promos for AEW (let's it airs on Wednesdays). But TruTV pretty much has an open schedule all the time. The only conflict would be for a week during March Madness

See I think it all depends on what AEW considers major. I would argue TruTV isn't a major network but if they're trying to hype it up bigger than what it is I'd understand why they're saying major even if though it's not. I know they've hinted at WGN American in the past as well but that's not major either.

And I think they said it will be on Tuesdays so that probably cancels out TBS too.

 

[Judge Fudge]

See I think it all depends on what AEW considers major. I would argue TruTV isn't a major network but if they're trying to hype it up bigger than what it is I'd understand why they're saying major even if though it's not. I know they've hinted at WGN American in the past as well but that's not major either.

And I think they said it will be on Tuesdays so that probably cancels out TBS too.

So ESPN maybe....

Sweet

 

[futballiscool]

Something interesting for conspiracy theorists to keep in mind with rumors of a Turner network being a potential landing spot for AEW...

TNT/TBS/TruTV owned by Warnermedia. HBO owned by Warnermedia. John Oliver running a "wrestling is awesome, WWE is evil" piece on the week of WM.. on HBO. HHH calling AEW a "pissant company" before they even run their first show later the same week?

Of course the theory falls apart if AEW ends up on another station but their might already be some shots fired between the companies.

 

[UVA_Guy81]

My darkhorse candidates for stations would be A&E or AMC. On both of those networks, you'd never have to worry about being pre-empted for anything.

Of course the theory falls apart if AEW ends up on another station but their might already be some shots fired between the companies.

Sounds like Triple H took a few jabs himself at AEW at the Hall of Fame.

 

[OregonDucks]

this promotion can not air soon enough.

 

[futballiscool]

Update On Potential AEW TV Deals And Streaming - Wrestling Inc.

Meltzer says there's an international deal in the works too.

 

[OregonDucks]

I was actually thinking this the other day, what about ESPN and airing it on ESPN2? On like a Tuesday or Wednesday night at 9 PM? What else is ESPN2 airing at that time? It also provides a HUGE major network channel to air on.

Reason I thought this is ESPN's recent coverage of WWE and pro wrestling. So I thought maybe ESPN gives it a try? But then I thought how did ESPN and WWE's coverage come about? If that partnership is due to Vince paying ESPN to basically promote his product, then I don't see ESPN joining with AEW, but if ESPN's coverage and promotion of WWE is just simply because Vince has allowed his doors to be open for that coverage, I could see ESPN taking that risk by joining AEW and see how it goes.

 

[futballiscool]

I was actually thinking this the other day, what about ESPN and airing it on ESPN2? On like a Tuesday or Wednesday night at 9 PM? What else is ESPN2 airing at that time? It also provides a HUGE major network channel to air on.

Reason I thought this is ESPN's recent coverage of WWE and pro wrestling. So I thought maybe ESPN gives it a try? But then I thought how did ESPN and WWE's coverage come about? If that partnership is due to Vince paying ESPN to basically promote his product, then I don't see ESPN joining with AEW, but if ESPN's coverage and promotion of WWE is just simply because Vince has allowed his doors to be open for that coverage, I could see ESPN taking that risk by joining AEW and see how it goes.

It would be so easy to market to the lapsed wrestling fanbase if the show aired on an ESPN network. That's the ideal landing spot but Turner seems like the most likely one based on internet buzz.

 

[OregonDucks]

It would be so easy to market to the lapsed wrestling fanbase if the show aired on an ESPN network. That's the ideal landing spot but Turner seems like the most likely one based on internet buzz.

I don't know whats up with Turner since WCW went down, but are we talking Turner like WCW Turner? TNT/TBS etc. ? Also would that mean Turner would be involved, even the slightest bit like he was with WCW? If so, how interesting, the Khans who are billionaires teaming up with Turner who probably is still a bit pissed Vince beat him 20 years ago.

 

[wildturkey]

I was actually thinking this the other day, what about ESPN and airing it on ESPN2? On like a Tuesday or Wednesday night at 9 PM? What else is ESPN2 airing at that time? It also provides a HUGE major network channel to air on.

Reason I thought this is ESPN's recent coverage of WWE and pro wrestling. So I thought maybe ESPN gives it a try? But then I thought how did ESPN and WWE's coverage come about? If that partnership is due to Vince paying ESPN to basically promote his product, then I don't see ESPN joining with AEW, but if ESPN's coverage and promotion of WWE is just simply because Vince has allowed his doors to be open for that coverage, I could see ESPN taking that risk by joining AEW and see how it goes.

Nah. ESPN has way too many deals with other sports to make this work. It would constantly be getting bumped for other sports or when games run long. It's interesting though that the article @futballiscool linked to said the networks in negotiations have streaming platforms already. ESPN does have ESPN+ so theoretically, you could watch AEW at any time

 

[futballiscool]

Nah. ESPN has way too many deals with other sports to make this work. It would constantly be getting bumped for other sports or when games run long. It's interesting though that the article @futballiscool linked to said the networks in negotiations have streaming platforms already. ESPN does have ESPN+ so theoretically, you could watch AEW at any time

ESPN have a lot of sports deals but they also have a lot of networks that need content. Overall I think getting shuffled to different networks and time slots on occasion would be worth it for the amount of cross marketing they could do on the channel.

With that said my strong suspicion is that they have a done deal with the Turner Networks. Also to clarify for Ducks, the networks were founded by Turner but I don't think he has any involvement whatsoever in their day to day operations at this point. Its basically just a brand name

 

[OregonDucks]

IF ESPN picked it up, I wouldn't want to see it on ESPNU or ESPNwhateverthatisn'tESPNorESPN2 because it would get forgotten. For AEW to work, it needs to be on a major cable channel that everyone gets, not some odd unknown channel like what happened to TNA.

 

[justanidiot]

ESPN puts the main UFC stuff on their ESPN+ streaming, extra subscription deal. I am pretty sure the UFC deal is 10 times minimum what an unknown wrestling alliance will be getting. I would guess Freeform or pop tv, or wherever you have to dig to find all japan pro wrestling.

I still say Vince buys it before it gets this far

 

[wildturkey]

ESPN have a lot of sports deals but they also have a lot of networks that need content. Overall I think getting shuffled to different networks and time slots on occasion would be worth it for the amount of cross marketing they could do on the channel.

With that said my strong suspicion is that they have a done deal with the Turner Networks. Also to clarify for Ducks, the networks were founded by Turner but I don't think he has any involvement whatsoever in their day to day operations at this point. Its basically just a brand name

Turner is most likely yeah. The part mentioned in the article about having a streaming platform makes me think @Duffman is gonna be right that its TNT. The deal is gonna be with Turner Sports, whose streaming platform is the the Bleacher Report app, which they've been moving some sporting events to (Euro soccer, some golf events). So I could see them putting the weekly show on TNT and you can stream their big ppv shows on the B/R app

 

[StanMarsh51]

I don't know whats up with Turner since WCW went down, but are we talking Turner like WCW Turner? TNT/TBS etc. ? Also would that mean Turner would be involved, even the slightest bit like he was with WCW? If so, how interesting, the Khans who are billionaires teaming up with Turner who probably is still a bit pissed Vince beat him 20 years ago.

Turner sold his controlling interests in the TV networks in the late '90s and I don't think he's currently on the board or anything of that nature, so it's likely that he doesn't have any significant involvement in TBS/TNT/CNN etc.

 

[futballiscool]

 

[futballiscool]

The latest rumors are that it's going to air on TNT as a time buy.
If that's true Khan is basically risking all of the money on this and the show has to do a rating on a much quicker timetable so they can actually sell it to a station.

That report (if true) makes this seem more like a trial run at viable 2nd option rather than the definitive thing. It also explains the ambiguity on the TV status.

It still gets a 2nd wrestling company on a prestigious cable network so I'd still consider it the biggest company since WCW

 

[futballiscool]

The latest rumors are that it's going to air on TNT as a time buy.
If that's true Khan is basically risking all of the money on this and the show has to do a rating on a much quicker timetable so they can actually sell it to a station.

That report (if true) makes this seem more like a trial run at viable 2nd option rather than the definitive thing. It also explains the ambiguity on the TV status.

It still gets a 2nd wrestling company on a prestigious cable network so I'd still consider it the biggest company since WCW

Meltzer is saying the time buy report is false

 

[futballiscool]

Cody vs Dustin is official for Double or Nothing

 

[wildturkey]

Cody vs Dustin is official for Double or Nothing

The youtube video was really good. If that's the style AEW is gonna use for their TV show when it comes to storytelling, we're gonna have a great and different product to watch