It was previously reported that All Elite Wrestling is said to be in advanced talks with WarnerMedia/Turner Sports for their weekly TV show, believed to air on TNT, TBS or Tru TV, but most likely TNT. According to The Wrap, the deal is “definitely not signed” and the talks are “pretty complex” but “not imminent.” The report also stated that it is not a sure thing that AEW will be revealed at their 2019 Upfronts Presentation to advertisers on May 15th, which was previously reported by a known insider on Twitter.
According to Dave Meltzer on a recent edition of The Wrestling Observer Newsletter, no deal has been signed as of Thursday, but there is some truth on TNT possibly being the home of The AEW TV Show. The word backstage is that there is a potential TV deal from The Turner Group as well as a second proposal from another group on the table. ProWrestling.net adds that The Showtime Network has also been talked about as a potential rival suitor for AEW Programming.
The working plan as of now is for AEW to have both a weekly primetime TV show and to be involved with a streaming package with the broadcast partner they sign with. It was previously reported that AEW could be airing their TV Programme on TNT’s Bleacher Report Live Streaming Service.
The reported recently provided by The Wrap indicated that The AEW TV Show may not be year-round, which would indicate a potential off-season for the organization as they look to be more wrestler-friendly. According to The Observer, this is not accurate as the show would air year-round.
The current plan as for now is for AEW to run a two-hour live TV show, likely airing on a weeknight, but not Monday or Friday due to WWE’s RAW & SmackDown LIVE. If they go with TNT, the show would not air on Tuesday nights due to TNT’s contract with The NBA. This leaves Wednesday or Thursday nights open on TNT. As previously reported, AEW had trademarked The “Tuesday Night Dynamite” Name, teasing plans for a possible Tuesday night show, but Tuesday has reportedly been off the table for a while now. The day of the week could be different if they went with another network.
There is no word yet on when the weekly AEW TV Show will be premiering, but October has been mentioned and would be the best bet scenario if negotiations are completed soon enough to make October viable, according to The Observer.
Source: Wrestling Observer Newsletter