Major Update On AEW, WarnerMedia Partnership
By Jason Hall
May 17, 2023
All Elite Wrestling will launch a new television program, AEW: Collision, in June, Warner Bros. Discovery representatives announced at the company's upfront presentation at Madison Square Garden on Wednesday (May 17).
The announcement comes amid speculation that AEW will receive a new television deal with WarnerMedia with their current deal -- signed upon the company's launch in 2019 -- set to expire.
“We’re doubling-down on wrestling with ‘AEW: Collision,’ which gives fans two more hours every week,” said Jason Sarlanis, president of the Turner Networks, ID and HLN, linear & streaming, via Variety. “AEW’s roster of talent has expanded so quickly that we felt it needed another night to bring our audience the epic rivalries, unforgettable matches and stars they love to watch. Adding ‘Collision’ to our programming mix on TNT will allow us to satisfy the massive demand we’ve felt from our hardcore fanbase and be the ultimate complement to ‘AEW: Dynamite’ on TBS.”
Collision is set to feature members of AEW's roster differing from its original and flagship program, Dynamite, including Miro, Samoa Joe, Thunder Rosa, Powerhouse Hobbs, Andrade El Idolo and others. WarnerMedia currently airs four hours of AEW television, which includes two hours of Dynamite followed by one hour of AEW: All Access on Wednesday nights and one hour of Rampage on Friday nights.
“With the addition of ‘AEW: Collision’ on TNT, I’m extremely proud that a Turner network will be the home of Saturday night wrestling for the first time in more than two decades,” said Tony Khan, CEO, GM and Head of Creative of AEW, via Variety. “The debut of ‘Collision’ is significant across numerous sectors including television, wrestling, entertainment and sports, and reinforces AEW as the bold property we envisioned when we launched in 2019. ‘Collision’ will deliver live every Saturday night more of what fans and viewers tell us they want – athleticism, big personalities, exciting storylines and hard-hitting wrestling action, all of which have become synonymous with AEW.”