Tony Khan says he’s already had some very encouraging conversations with AEW’s new corporate boss, and he doesn’t sound worried about the changes coming to the company. In fact, Khan says Skydance CEO David Ellison has been “very excited and positive about AEW” and believes in what the promotion is doing.
Speaking during the AEW WrestleDream media call on October 15, Khan opened up about his conversations with Ellison following Skydance’s acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery. Khan said the two have already spoken plenty and came away sounding pretty happy about where AEW stands under the new corporate structure.
According to Khan, Ellison has been “very excited and positive about AEW” during their conversations and has expressed his belief in the promotion. That’s obviously an important relationship for AEW considering Ellison is now sitting at the top of the company that controls its television partner.
Khan isn’t pretending everything will simply stay the same, though. He acknowledged that he expects plenty of changes as AEW moves forward under Skydance, but based on the conversations he’s had so far, he believes those changes are going to be good for the promotion.
Another reason Khan appears comfortable with the situation is that some familiar faces are sticking around. He specifically pointed to Channing Dungey and JB Perrette, who have both been major supporters of AEW during its relationship with Warner Bros. Discovery, and said their continued presence under Skydance is great news for AEW.
Khan also pointed toward AEW’s performance on WBD as a reason for optimism going forward. The belief within those conversations, according to Khan, is that AEW has worked well for the company, and he specifically touted the promotion’s viewership and how its television presence connects with its pay-per-view business.
This isn’t the first time Khan has sounded excited about AEW’s new corporate situation. On October 6, the same day Skydance completed its acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery, Khan celebrated what he called his “first day working for Skydance” ahead of Grand Slam France.
“It’s great being here in Paris today, my first day working for Skydance, and it’s great. I love working for Skydance, and we’re going to have a great future here. It’s our first day, hand in hand with our Paramount brothers and sisters here at Warner Bros. It’s going to be a great, great future for AEW, and it begins on Tuesday Night Dynamite, Grand Slam tonight.”
Nine days later, Khan’s confidence doesn’t appear to have changed. The bigger update now is that he’s actually been talking with Ellison and says AEW’s new corporate boss believes in the promotion, even as Khan prepares for changes under Skydance.
What do you think about David Ellison being excited about AEW and Tony Khan expecting changes under Skydance? Let us know in the comments below.
