It’s been a big year for All Elite Wrestling. The company was officially unveiled in January 2019, scored a TV deal with TNT that May and their flagship program Dynamite has been largely dominant in the ratings-driven Wednesday Night War against NXT.
Their success has not gone unnoticed: Today, WarnerMedia has announced they have extended AEW Dynamite through 2023. AEW CEO Tony Khan had this to say via press release:
“When we launched AEW one year ago, we wanted to start a revolution that would disrupt the wrestling business, but everyone said that it would take a strong weekly television partner to make AEW real in the eyes of everyone – above all, the fans. What virtually no one realized at the time was Kevin Reilly and TNT were committed to this very same movement from Day One, and their belief in us made it possible for AEW to think and act big from the start. Here we are, only four months into ‘Wednesday Night Dynamite,’ and now we’ve been extended through 2023! We’re now making the ultimate statement that the team of AEW and TNT is here to stay and to bring fans more of the great wrestling that the fans demand and deserve.”
In addition to Dynamite being extended, WarnerMedia also announced they have greenlit a second AEW show for TV broadcast. Details are scarce on this new series at presstime — will AEW Dark move from YouTube to TNT? Will it be a studio show? Are we getting AEW Lightning? — but as soon as we know more, we’ll bring it to you.
UPDATE: Dave Meltzer is reporting that the TV deal is for $175 million over four years (or $45 million a year), with an option for an additional year at a higher price. Meltzer also says the new show will be taped on Wednesday nights in addition to AEW Dark.
