After the recent Warner Bros. Discovery merger, there has been a lot of uncertainty over AEW’s future with TNT and TBS. However, in a recent interview with TVInsider’s Scott Fishman, AEW President Tony Khan expressed his excitement at the response the company has received from network executives.
Khan was questioned about his TV partners’ dynamics and how he would describe their atmosphere. In addition, he discussed how the network felt about the recent Shark Week marketing for Fyter Fest.
“I’m very excited about the reception we’ve gotten from the management of Warner Bros. Discovery, which has been the most engagement we’ve had, and being involved in the company’s biggest initiatives,” Khan said. “It was in a meeting with several of the top executives in the new Warner Bros. Discovery family several months ago when they mentioned the idea of getting AEW involved with Shark Week in co-promotion. I suggested Fyter Fest and Shark Week would go together perfectly. It was an incredibly successful promotion for everyone involved.
“Management from Warner Bros. Discovery reached out to say they were very pleased all-around with that partnership. That integration was one of two slides in the recent main presentation that involved AEW as company highlights, which is so great for us because we have this hands-on management with Warner Bros. Discovery. They are putting their stamp on the new company, and we’re part of their plans.”
Khan later revealed that he is working on another significant deal for AEW. Fishman remarked that Khan’s comments on Warner Bros. Discovery and the Shark Week promotion are encouraging given the fact that TV contracts will be up for renewal in 2023.
“For such a hands-on, strong, and respected management team to have identified AEW multiple times in their presentation is something that is important,” Khan responded. “Privately and in business, I’m seeing it like that on a daily basis. Since the Shark Week integration was such a great success, we’re working on another huge partnership that I’m very excited about in terms of creativity and a hugely prestigious IP that we’re being trusted to partner with. I believe it’s because we have shown we can do a good job with integrations and be easy and fun and collaborative and have a good audience that makes us good partners.
“We recently also collaborated on a panel with AEW representation at Comic-Con through the Warner Bros. Discovery PR and media team. They were so helpful. That was a huge success. Now I’m excited about another integration that hasn’t been announced yet. I’m very pumped about it. It’s going to be very soon. The IP is very prestigious in the world of television. The partnership represents another really good sign that Warner Bros. Discovery likes what AEW is doing.”
