Tony Khan sees major potential in Paramount joining forces with Warner Bros. Discovery, especially when it comes to expanding AEW’s streaming audience.
While speaking to Yahoo Finance, Khan discussed Paramount’s planned acquisition and what the change could mean for AEW’s partnership with Warner Bros. Discovery. AEW currently airs Dynamite and Collision across TBS and TNT, while its weekly shows and pay-per-view events are also available through HBO Max. Khan welcomed Paramount’s arrival and described the situation as a major opportunity for AEW.
“Since our last interview last year, that has come into focus, and a lot changed because Paramount has now come in to acquire Warner Bros. Discovery. I think that’s fantastic. I’m so excited about it.
“You asked me about the opportunities for AEW, and I think that’s a huge opportunity for AEW because we’ve premiered our pay-per-views on HBO Max, and we have a great audience.
“Now, with Paramount making a deal to acquire HBO Max, for me, as a showrunner who has worked at Warner Bros. for over seven years, I have to say I’m very excited about it and really welcoming the ownership from Paramount.”
When asked where that excitement came from, Khan focused on the possibility of attracting more subscribers and putting AEW programming in front of a larger audience.
“It’s the ability, first of all, to bring in more subscribers. I think HBO Max and Paramount are going to be much stronger and far more competitive together in the streaming space than they are separately, and they both have a great base.
“In the world of streaming, together, I think it’s a much more competitive company. It’s not going to be anything resembling a monopoly in streaming because it’s a hard fight out there.
“But together, I think we’ll have more viewers with Paramount, and we’ll be able to sell pay-per-views into more homes, stream the show into more homes, and we’ll have a bigger future.”
Khan also praised David Ellison and said the timing could not be better for AEW. He pointed to the company’s recent pay-per-view growth, including its Double or Nothing event at Louis Armstrong Stadium.
“The leadership of David Ellison, I think, is going to be huge for the companies. To have the Supreme Commander coming in, who is the same age as me and you, somebody who’s a wrestling fan, somebody who has a vision for it and is already promoting sports and growing other sports businesses, I think he’s doing a fantastic job with Paramount.
“Now, coming into Warner Bros., for us, it’s perfect timing because we’ve been on TBS and TNT for seven years. Last year, we launched our pay-per-views on HBO Max and also began simulcasting our television shows on HBO Max.
“This is really exciting for us because, with Paramount coming in, we’re at an all-time high on our pay-per-views, and our HBO Max pay-per-view business continues to grow.
“Our Double or Nothing event in May was a massive success. That was actually the seven-year anniversary of the very first AEW show. As a live event here in New York at Louis Armstrong Stadium, we sold every ticket. It was the biggest gate we’ve ever had for Double or Nothing in all these years. As a pay-per-view, it was the biggest one we’ve done yet on HBO Max.
“We’ve seen continued growth. I think the three consecutive pay-per-views all set the record on HBO Max. It’s a great time for Paramount to come in and add more homes for us when this goes through.”
Khan believes a bigger combined streaming service can lead to more AEW viewers and more pay-per-view customers. Whether that opportunity turns into a major jump for the company will depend on how AEW is positioned once the deal is completed.
Could Paramount’s involvement give AEW the larger audience Tony Khan expects, or will the change have little effect on the wrestling company? Leave your feedback in the comments.
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