What WBD Split Really Means Right Now For AEW

AEW’s US TV partner is set for its biggest shakeup ever, but what does a huge split really mean for Tony Khan’s company?

When AEW launched in 2019, one of the key reasons for its success was that owner Tony Khan secured a television distribution deal for his company with Warner Bros Discovery. That led to Dynamite airing on TNT, the former home of WCW Nitro.

It was announced in October 2024 that Tony Khan’s AEW had signed a three-year deal with WBD, ensuring their shows would remain on TBS and TNT for at least three years, with a fourth-year option. That deal was valued at $185 million per year and also included AEW shows airing on the Max streaming service in the US.

But now there has been a split.

Warner Bros. Discovery announced that its broadcast entities and other properties will be split into two separate publicly traded companies by mid-2026.

Global Networks will be the home of networks that they own, like TBS and TNT (the home of AEW content), CNN, Discovery, Discovery+, Bleacher Report and more. WBD’s Chief Financial Officer Gunnar Wiedenfels will head that division.

Crucially, the man who brought AEW to WBD, David Zaslav, will be in charge of a Streaming & Studios division. That will be the home of the WBD movie studio, DC Studios, WBD’s television production, HBO, the Max streaming service, which will be renamed HBO Max, and a vast TV and movie library.

AEW Safe Despite WBD Split

Fightful Select has now given more insight into the situation and what it means for Tony Khan’s AEW in the immediate future. A WBD spokesman told Sean Ross Sapp that details are few and far between, and nothing to do with the split takes effect until the middle of 2026.

AEW has contracts in place, and as of now, there are no changes planned. It was noted that the company remains a big focus for WBD. Most importantly, AEW is not at risk of a TV deal simply evaporating due to the major changes at WBD.