Paramount and Warner Brothers Discovery are one step closer to merging because Paramount settled with states that sued them because they believed the deal would violate antitrust laws.. It’s unclear how the merger will affect AEW, whose programming airs on TNT, TBS and HBO Max.
While Paramount doesn’t have any wrestling programming, it does have the UFC. According to Dave Meltzer, Paramount’s deal with the UFC resulted in the promotion of wrestling losing out to the deal with Paramount+. On Wrestling Observer RadioMeltzer said Ari Emanuel is a wild card. He told a story he was told about a wrestling promotion that lost out on a deal.
“There was a wrestling company in talks with Paramount+. That would have been over a year ago and they didn’t have a written deal. They were confident in the deal. They were negotiating with the people at Paramount, the top people, one of whom ended up losing his position in the Skydance merger. Paramount+.
As it was going down, the UFC deal came in. “Everything suddenly went cold with them (Paramount+). They don’t know, but their mind was Ari Emanuel,” Meltzer said. This story has led some people to think that AEW might be in trouble, but Meltzer believes that AEW will “probably get something somewhere because the reality is that their TV stuff is strong enough.”
Meltzer noted that Khan and Ellison have a relationship because of the NFL and confirmed that they had talked. In the past, Tony Khan wanted to work with David Ellison.
If you use any quotes from this article, please credit Wrestling Observer Radio and credit ah/t Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.
