In a shocking swerve that would make Vince Russo sit up in a cold sweat and yell, “Bro, I called it,” Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD) is officially splitting into two publicly-traded companies. That’s right — the media behemoth is pulling a tag-team breakup live on the earnings call, and nobody threw a chair first.
Starting soon, we’ll see:
-
Streaming & Studios: Home to HBO, DC Studios, and all the gritty drama your cousin live-tweets every Sunday night.
-
Global Networks: Home to CNN, TNT Sports, and a collection of cable channels your parents swear are “still worth watching.”
Now, for us wrestling fans who measure time in title reigns and heel turns, this gets interesting. AEW’s media rights deal is locked in with WBD through 2028, meaning we won’t see an immediate shift in where Dynamite or Collision land. But here’s the kicker: the shows are airing on platforms from both new companies. That’s like trying to run a tag match with your partner in a completely different building.
To simplify:
-
AEW shows = airing on TNT (Global Networks)
-
AEW streaming = hosted on Max (Streaming & Studios)
And that, friends, is what we in the business call “a potential corporate custody battle.”
Sources say this doesn’t currently endanger AEW programming — but future negotiations? Oh, they’re gonna be juicier than a Moxley promo in a parking lot. Because when the time comes to renew rights, Tony Khan may have to negotiate with two separate companies that both think they own a piece of the pie, but neither wants to cover catering.
On the bright side, AEW’s content is being slowly added to Max, with plans for PPV integration in the future — assuming Max doesn’t suddenly tag out and leave TNT to take the fall.
Meanwhile, David Zaslav will remain CEO of Streaming & Studios, while the CFO (now CEO) of Global Networks will be in charge of the cable-heavy side of things — you know, the one with Bleacher Report and 13 straight hours of My 600-Lb. Life.
Zaslav claims the goal is to let each company “better strategize for its own needs.” Which roughly translates to: “Let’s split these kids up before they start fighting over AEW’s production truck.”
Until then, AEW fans can breathe easy. Your Wednesday and Saturday night wrestling fix is safe. But by 2028, don’t be surprised if Rampage airs on CNN2 and the PPVs are hosted exclusively on an app called HBO Discovery Bleacher Max Plus.