With the big reveal that All Elite Wrestling is in fact happening, the single biggest question regarding their long-term success remains the presence, or current lack-thereof, of a television deal.
AEW is reportedly being run by Tony Khan of the Iranian-American Khan family, who owns the Jacksonville Jaguars, as well as a Premier League football team. His father, Shahid Khan, is worth an estimated $6.3 Billion, which to put in perspective, is twice what WWE Chairman Vince McMahon is currently worth.
Clearly there will be serious money sunk into this fledgling promotion as it attempts to get off the ground, with Cody Rhodes reportedly signing a multi-year contract, and The Young Bucks likely to follow within the next few days. While there are plans to run a sequel to their hugely successful ALL IN event, under the name “AEW Double or Nothing”, beyond that the group will need a major TV deal in place if they want to make an attempt at remaining competitive long-term.
Dave Metlzer is reporting via Wrestling Observer Radio that there are currently “multiple offers” on the table from different networks, with the success of the Sept. 1st ALL IN event playing a crucial role in the way some important TV executives are looking at the group.
“There’s multiple offers out there, and I’m confident enough to say that it will happen,” said Meltzer, being sure to stress that nothing is really ever officially done until the contracts are signed, especially in the wrestling world. “…the ALL IN show, and the success of the ALL IN show, was not lost on certain people within the television industry. Not everyone in the industry but certain people, and those people who watched were very impressed. That atmosphere of the show — that show being a success was the key to all of this.”