AEW Targets Multiple Accounts with DMCA Takedowns

AEW has officially started cracking down on fan and media coverage of its programming—and now multiple accounts have been hit with takedown notices for simply posting match clips and images.

After the June 4 episode of AEW Dynamite, which featured Kenny Omega retaining his AEW International Championship in a wild four-way match against Claudio Castagnoli, Brody King, and Mascara Dorada, several X (formerly Twitter) users posted content showing the match outcome. That included wrestling news outlets like Ringside News, which received a DMCA takedown notice from AEW’s enforcement partner, Stream Enforcement LLC.

All affected posts had their media removed, with the standard message appearing: “This image has been removed in response to a report from the copyright holder.”

The takedown notice sent to Ringside News came directly from Ed Muncey of Stream Enforcement LLC, acting on behalf of AEW. According to the copyright report, the content was flagged for “copyright infringement of live broadcast.” The notice specifically listed the June 4 episode and named over a dozen X links that were also pulled down.

“The following material has been removed from your account in response to the DMCA takedown notice… If you believe the material has been removed as a result of mistake or misidentification, you may submit a counter-notification.”

What makes this development stand out is AEW’s history. When the company launched in 2019, the company openly promoted fan engagement and said they wouldn’t take the kind of corporate stance often associated with WWE. But based on this new aggressive approach, that era might be over.

With AEW tightening control over its content, questions are now being raised about the future of coverage, fan-made highlights, and independent wrestling media altogether.