AEW TV 2026 discussion

[Infinity Land]

49 minutes ago, Kamran said:

I have to admit I'm a little worried about their TV rights. Skydance have said they plan on reducing their debt by $80 billion in 3 years as well as reducing their rights fees by over $6 billion per year, they are going to make cuts across the board. I'm pretty sure AEW's TV deal is coming up for renewal too so they'll be one of the first to negotiate a deal. 

Skydance does need to cut the debt. It does also need to feed the beast of constant new content. One of the good things is that the WWE international rights are wrapped up in the Netflix deal. Skydance might see the bargain in "here's the same money but for the global rights" (Paramount+, potentially things like the UK market moving to TNT sports or 5 channel when the ITV deal is up). 

[HarmonicGenerator]

1 hour ago, Kamran said:

I was only thinking the other day how I feel like a kid again watching AEW and I mean that in the best possible way. The excitement for the PPVs this year and the anticipation for the Continental Classic just reminds me of what it was like as a kid watching WWE. 

I’m glad everyone’s enjoying AEW at the moment and it does seem to be on a bit of a roll. But honestly, for me, since PAC died I’ve just struggled to enjoy wrestling in the same way. It all just makes me a bit sad at the moment. I won’t stop watching but right now it’s out of habit more than genuine enjoyment.

Saying that, I thought the Trios segment this week was masterfully done. Hangman already knowing Swerve had done something evil and pleading with Brody not to rise to it before he knew what it was, was excellent stuff.

[HarmonicGenerator]

Two posts, one cage, three words:

double post, sorry 

Edited yesterday at 01:57 PM by HarmonicGenerator

[Kamran]

1 hour ago, RedTwoster said:

I honestly wonder if it even matters anymore. AEW has a consistent, dedicated and almost guaranteed audience so someone would snap them up - but even in a worst case scenario MyAEW seems like a viable platform - particularly if they get it added to Amazon Prime and Apple TV as an app. If they’re not on TV in the States - which seems unlikely to me - I genuinely don’t think it’ll make a noticeable difference to anyone watching on these shores.

I can't see it making much difference over here but I do think it's important for them to be profit-making. As much as TK has the money to keep the company going I think it's important for their future. As far as I know, it's the TV deal making them the most money so it would be a big hit if they lost it. However, as you said, they've always got MyAEW to fallback to and they do seem to have a core audience that will follow them there or another platform.

Looking ahead to tonight, Fright Night continues with Collision:

[Infinity Land]

Talent cuts and residencies. We've seen some of the things that can happen when the booking spreadsheet gets put to the side for accounting. That's why the media deal does matter because it will be felt even if you're just watching from home. 

[RedTwoster]

6 hours ago, Infinity Land said:

Talent cuts and residencies. We've seen some of the things that can happen when the booking spreadsheet gets put to the side for accounting. That's why the media deal does matter because it will be felt even if you're just watching from home. 

But the difference is that this is a billionaire’s passion project, not a business with the sole intent of making profit - heck, CM Punk complained that it ‘wasn’t a business’, the counter-culture, rebellious capitalist that he is. It doesn’t have to make mega-money, at least, not as long as it’s in the hands of Tony Khan. He could clearly keep it running at a loss if he wanted, but even a MyAEW future would almost certainly make it sustainable at the very least. But it’s hard to see a future in which that would happen, they’re doing really well right now. Even if Skydance dumped them tomorrow, someone would pick them up. 

Edited yesterday at 09:33 PM by RedTwoster
Autocorrect, bah.

[ReturnOfTheMack]

20 minutes ago, RedTwoster said:

 the dole intent of making profit 

Ahhh, the Reform belief about benefits.

[LaGoosh]

The fact that they are seemingly getting a 30 minute overrun every week now suggests the network is happy for them to do what they want. Yeah there's a risk around cost cutting but also wrestling is comparatively cheap live content that is guaranteed decent ratings so they'll be fine. Also there's unsubstantiated reports that WBD actually own a percentage of AEW so that'd change things.

[Supremo]

This is excellent. Christian Cage must be so proud of his son.

 

[RedTwoster]

A fairly inconsequential Collision this week. Watchable, but skippable. 

Two particular highlights for me though - Nick Wayne’s fantastic vignette that @Supremo shared, and Jon Moxley completely no-selling Gabe Kidd’s ‘I’m mad, me!’ promo threatening The Dogs, before going on to cut a typically brilliant promo himself.

Marina cut a very good promo too and with Full Gear being as close as it is, I’m starting to wonder if they’ve made a mistake by running this match so early in Mercedes’ reign. Give it a few more months and I think you have a bigger match in the sense that a Marina win seems more possible. It still feels like an enormous match and Marina does not come across as someone who could mot be World Champion. Then again, maybe this is a test to see if her ring work can live up to her presence against one of the best in the world. I’m really excited about this match whatever the case, and if Marina holds up her end of this, you absolutely have someone who could be main eventing alongside Mercedes, Willow, Toni and Thekla.

Paul Wight is a surefire nominee for non-wrestler of the year for me. He’s brilliant on commentary, what a great addition to the team he’s been. I want Renee Paquette to finally get her flowers this year, although Wight deserves recognition for how good he is. 

I wonder if The Hurt Syndicate appeared because they’re going to be in a storyline, or if it was just to remind people they exist? It’s a shame that they seemingly have the same attitude to losing as Miro and Malakai Black, in a different reality it would be fun to see Lashley in the CC, or watching him wrestle the likes or Ospreay, Page and Darby. The fact we didn’t even get the MJF match is all sorts of strange. He should be adding a different dimension to the upper card, rather than existing in a parallel universe in the way he does.

[Lorne Malvo]

On 10/30/2026 at 10:15 PM, Supremo said:

 

Traditionalists would say you should only book one hardcore match on each card, but then Tony regularly books multiple weapons-based matches on almost every pay per view, sometimes one right after the other, and it usually ends up working regardless how much it might make your Jim Cornettes cry.

 

Not just this, but they've shown time and again they can run 'normal' matches next to hardcore matches with no diminishing returns.

There was that one Dynamite a few years back where Edge Vs Christian ended with Edge threatening to cut Christians dick off or something. There was barbed wire, thumbtacks, all that mad shit involved. The fans were going nuts.

According to Cornette and the like, once you've done that it's impossible to top it. But you don't need to top it, as that night Shibata had the fans going crazy for a sleeper-hold finish in the very next match.

[The King Of Swing]

I'm not as down on Gabe Kidd as others but fuck me, even I'm not going to defend that promo. Shockingly shite. 

Triangle Vs. Trinity was a fun Stardom style trios and Dragunov Vs. Beast was good but went a little off the rails before getting back on track, following that scary power slam landing. 

I've never been a big fan of that low angle power slam. Bin it. 

Edited 4 hours ago by The King Of Swing

[LaGoosh]

So Darby Allin's week has consisted of a brutal TNT defence, flying straight to Mexico where he got his ass kicked by Hechicero and was thrown down a flight of stairs, from there flying straight to New York where he ran the New York marathon and he's got Blood and Guts on Wednesday. What a life this absolute nutter lives.

Edited 1 hour ago by LaGoosh

[The King Of Swing]

I'm convinced that if Darby ever stopped doing mad shit, his body would immediately crumble to dust. 

[Supremo]

Tombstone through some chairs on Wednesday, chucked down some stairs on Saturday, completed the New York Marathon on Sunday, and then flew to Jacksonville for an inevitable War Games bump through fire or some shit the following Wednesday.

Craig David would never.