An unnamed professional wrestling promotion was reportedly close to securing a deal with Paramount+ before Paramount’s massive agreement with UFC changed the situation.
Dave Meltzer discussed the previously unreported negotiations on the post-Raw edition of Wrestling Observer Radio, following the latest developments surrounding Paramount Skydance’s proposed takeover of Warner Bros. Discovery.
Meltzer stressed that the wrestling promotion never had a signed agreement with Paramount, although those involved were reportedly confident that a deal would ultimately be reached.
“There is a story that I was told that I did not know, that there was a company, a wrestling company, that was negotiating with Paramount+ a little over a year ago. And they did not have a written deal. They were confident in a deal,” Meltzer said. “They were negotiating with people at Paramount, top people, one of whom ended up losing his position in the Skydance merger, because people lose their position. One of them was still there.”
According to Meltzer, the situation changed dramatically when Paramount turned its attention toward UFC.
“The company was confident that they would get on Paramount+ because, at the time, there was no wrestling on Paramount+. And as it came down to the wire, they had nothing signed or anything like that, and then the UFC deal came in,” Meltzer said. “And once the UFC deal came in, all of a sudden everything got cold with them completely.”
Meltzer did not identify the wrestling promotion involved in those negotiations.
The timeline comes after the Skydance-Paramount merger closed in August 2025, resulting in new leadership under David Ellison and changes among existing executives. Paramount subsequently announced a seven-year, $7.7 billion media rights agreement with TKO for UFC programming.
Under that agreement, numbered UFC events and Fight Nights moved to Paramount+, with select events also airing on CBS. The arrangement also eliminated UFC’s traditional pay-per-view model in the United States.
Paramount+ currently does not carry a professional wrestling promotion.
Meltzer also discussed what Paramount Skydance’s proposed Warner Bros. Discovery acquisition could eventually mean for AEW. AEW’s current U.S. media rights agreement with Warner Bros. Discovery runs through the end of 2027, with WBD holding an option for 2028.
Tony Khan and Ellison know each other through their NFL connections, and Meltzer said Khan has been optimistic about the possibilities created by the deal.
“I know that they’ve talked. Tony has clearly been very, very optimistic of the idea of, number one, getting this show in more homes due to getting on Paramount+, getting more backing,” Meltzer said.
Meltzer added that people within the wrestling business have discussed possibilities extending beyond simply putting AEW programming on Paramount+.
“He has not talked of the potential of CBS, but other people in the business have talked about the potential of CBS, for a special or something, a one-time deal like UFC gets, and the idea of buying the pay-per-views like they do with UFC, which guarantees AEW the money and will put the pay-per-views in way more homes, so a lot more people will be watching it, which is probably better in the long run,” Meltzer said.
Such an arrangement would represent a significant change from AEW’s current pay-per-view model. Rather than viewers purchasing individual events, Paramount could theoretically acquire the rights and make them available through Paramount+, similar to its UFC agreement. AEW currently sells its pay-per-views individually, including through HBO Max.
Khan has previously spoken positively about the proposed Paramount-WBD combination. During a Bloomberg TV appearance in May, he said he believed the deal could benefit AEW, particularly if HBO Max and Paramount+ are ultimately combined as Ellison has discussed.
One question surrounding AEW’s potential future under Paramount has been the company’s relationship with TKO, which owns both UFC and WWE. However, Fightful previously reported that a Paramount source said the TKO agreement does not contain an exclusivity provision preventing Paramount from carrying programming from another wrestling promotion.
For now, there has been no announcement regarding any change to AEW’s existing Warner Bros. Discovery agreement or plans for the promotion to appear on Paramount+ or CBS.
