Details on Tony Khan’s Reaction to Paramount Acquiring WBD & Whether Exclusivity Will Prevent Paramount From Taking up AEW Programming

There has been a lot of chatter about the future of AEW’s television programming in the wake of the ongoing merger between Warner Bros. Discovery and Paramount Skydance. The deal is expected to close by the third quarter of 2026.

As reported previously, there have been claims that AEW’s current broadcast partners informed Tony Khan in advance about its merger with Paramount so that the promotion could develop “a contingency plan” should the new owners decide against picking up the option year, i.e., 2028. However, both parties have since refuted these claims.

Even though Paramount, which has a major broadcast deal with the TKO-owned UFC, is being cited as an unfavorable landing ground for AEW, a new report by Fightful Select cites multiple AEW sources as claiming that Tony Khan is “excited” about the possibility of continuing his promotion’s relationship with WBD.

Regarding the chatter around Paramount airing UFC, Fightful cited an inside source as claiming that there is no exclusivity clause preventing the company from bringing All Elite Wrestling on board. Another source reportedly indicated that UFC works for Paramount, not the other way around.