Tony Khan Says He’s Excited for the Paramount & WBD Merger, Thinks It Will Be ‘Great for AEW’

Ahead of AEW Double or Nothing 2026, AEW President Tony Khan appeared on “The Close” on Bloomberg TV to discuss the event and more. During the conversation with Romaine Bostick, Khan was asked about his distribution model with Paramount Skydance in the process of merging with AEW broadcast partner Warner Bros. Discovery.

According to Khan, he’s excited about the Paramount and WBD merger, and he believes that AEW will have a place with Paramount post-merger. Khan stated, “I am very excited about Paramount acquiring WB and Paramount and WB coming together. This is going to be great for AEW.”

When asked by Bostick if he believes Paramount will stick by AEW, Khan responded, “100%. I really do, and of course, they have to come in, and they’re doing everything from a distance. They’re respecting the process. So, I know David Ellison. I have a great relationship through the NFL because, of course, my family owns the Jacksonville Jaguars. I’m on the fan engagement major events committee of the NFL. We worked on Skydance Sports for NFL Films for years, and I’m excited about the leadership of David Ellison and him coming in here.”

He continued, “And now having the power of HBO Max and Paramount Plus together, it’s more buyers for our pay-per-views, more people watching the AEW shows, and I think it’s going to make TBS and TNT stronger cable channels with Paramount and David Ellison coming in.”

As noted, AEW is in the midst of a multi-year media broadcast deal with Warner Bros. Discovery that runs through 2027 and has the option for a fourth year. WBD also owns a minority stake (less than 10%) in AEW. The WBD and Paramount merger is expected to close later this year.