WBD’s Interest in WWE RAW ‘Absolutely in Play” Despite Merger Reports

The negotiations for WWE Raw television rights are currently ongoing, and recent reports suggest that a deal will be finalized “pretty soon.” There has been considerable speculation that WWE is in talks with Warner Bros. Discovery as its current TV deal is set to expire in September 2024.

In light of the recent meeting between WBD and Paramount executives to discuss potential merger, Dave Meltzer provided an update on the plans involving WWE and WBD during a recent episode of Wrestling Observer Radio. When asked if a deal to bring Raw to WBD was “still in play,” Meltzer responded:

“It’s majorly in play. Absolutely in play, yes. You know that in the TV world, having number one has its value over having number two, cost per viewer. Raw is so much more expensive than AEW. Even if AEW had a big raise, it’d still be cheaper per viewer.”

“Also, the AEW viewer is a 13% higher money earner than a WWE viewer. There’s that value too which is rarely talked about. In the end WWE is still number one and WWE also has the ability, whether on TNT or TBS, to raise the station average ratings.

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“With AEW, it’s a very successful show on Wednesday, it raises the TBS weekly average a little bit, but very little, where Raw would make a much bigger difference as far as raising the average and making the station look better in the rankings of the stations.”

It has also been reported that WWE’s Chief Content Officer, Triple H, and WWE’s President, Nick Khan, had a lengthy meeting with WBD’s Chief Revenue and Strategy Officer, Bruce Campbell, on December 11, 2023.

Tony Khan, the CEO of AEW, has previously spoken about the positive relationship between AEW and Warner Bros. Discovery, emphasizing that it is “going very, very well.”

Meltzer also discussed the potential merger between Paramount and WBD and the potential impact it could have on both AEW and WWE.

Transcription by Ringside News