A comment regarding AEWs exclusivity status with Warner Bros. Discovery recently made the rounds, sparking confusion over the companys current television deal. Several outlets ran with the quote (including Ringside News), claiming AEW no longer had exclusivity with WBD amid potential merger talks but that interpretation was completely off the mark.
Fightful Select issued a clarification on September 27, 2025, making it clear that the original quote referred to AEWs previous TV deal not the one theyre currently operating under. The false narrative pushed by other outlets and tied the quote to ongoing rumors of Warner Bros. Discovery being sold or restructured. But apparently that connection was off-base.
The truth is that AEW did negotiate exclusivity back into their new deal which is why they were even able to entertain outside discussions for projects like Shockwave on FOX.
It was also mentioned that AEW is not in any danger of being dropped from TV, even in the event of a WBD merger. And while a worst-case fallback plan was hypothetically mentioned such as broadcasting on YouTube that scenario was never framed as something currently being considered.
Ringside News initially picked up the quote in question, as did several other outlets. With the full context now clarified, were sharing the accurate information to keep our readers properly informed. Bottomline: AEWs TV deal is stable, exclusivity is in place, and the claims suggesting otherwise were based on an old quote used out of context.
Do you think AEW should leave Warner Bros. Discovery and look for a new platform? Please share your thoughts and feedback in the comment section below.
