Tony Khan: The future is bright for AEW ‘for years to come’
Despite the impending ownership change going on at Warner Bros. Discovery, Tony Khan believes AEW’s future is secured for years to come.
Khan spoke to TV Insider in advance of AEW Worlds End taking place this weekend. When asked about the uncertainty at WBD — which Netflix and Paramount both are looking to buy — Khan downplayed any effect it could have on AEW. Khan said AEW still has more than two years remaining on its TV deal, and the future of the promotion is bright.
“I think we have a lot of certainty and are very excited. 2025 is the most exciting year yet for AEW and our partnership with Warner Bros. Discovery was reimagined this year and will continue for years to come. We’re locked in with TNT, TBS, and HBO Max for over two more years. The future is bright for us for years to come,” Khan said.
“The person who is making the calls and always been a believer in AEW and continues to be is [President and CEO] David Zaslav. I just got a very nice holiday gift from him in fact that I will be utilizing in some fun ways in the weeks to come. The man who first asked me to launch AEW Collision and bring more wrestling back to TNT along with the great Dynamite on TBS, which is our flagship show. It’s the longest running primetime professional wrestling show in the history of TBS and TNT. Turner, in my opinion, has the richest collective history of professional wrestling with a tradition that goes back on TBS to 1971. Then after 20 years of no wrestling on TBS we brought it back and had Dynamite become the longest running primetime wrestling show ever on TBS and TNT.”
Khan praised Zaslav as one of the best studio executives in the history of Hollywood. He believes that, no matter who wins the WBD sweepstakes, the new owners will want Zaslav running the ship.
“Mr. Zaslav had the idea to launch AEW on HBO Max to make the pay-per-views available to its massive audience and add new fans to AEW and HBO Max. Subscribers have the extra incentive with Dynamite and Collision and the library. That deal is continuing for years to come,” Khan said.
“I know the job Mr. Zaslav has done running Warner Bros. this year that people are going to want Mr. Zaslav as a studio boss in any regime. He has been one of the most successful studio heads in the history of Hollywood. The numbers don’t lie. David Zaslav is putting out hit after hit. I’m very proud he has made the big investment in AEW. There is a lot of excitement around the future of Warner Bros. It’s certainly one of the most exciting stories on Wall Street. There are a lot of exciting things happening around Warner Bros. that I’m proud AEW will be associated with Warner Bros.”
Netflix has reached a deal to acquire WBD, though whether that will ultimately go through still remains to be seen. Paramount has launched its own hostile takeover bid and is attempting to get WBD shareholders to take their offer instead of the Netflix deal.
Joseph Currier is the lead editor of F4WOnline.com, directing daily news coverage and writing articles on professional wrestling. He is a graduate of the University of Massachusetts, obtaining a journalism degree in 2016. Joseph joined F4W during his time at UMass and has now been writing about the industry for nearly a decade.
In addition to his work with F4W, Joseph has previously contributed to Sports Illustrated's wrestling coverage. He lives in Massachusetts and is a diehard fan of the Boston sports teams and Liverpool Football Club.