MAX, the Warner Brothers Discovery streamer may become a hub for pro wrestling content from the promotion known as “All Elite Wrestling” or AEW. The company, which is owned by Tony Kahn, the son of Billionaire Jacksonville Jaguars owner Shahid Kahn, has been in operation since 2019.
According to a number of pro wrestling trade websites AEW content has already begun to appear on MAX in international markets. The move is hardly unprecedented as WBD is already the home of AEW television with shows AEW Rampage and AEW Dynamite airing on TBS and TNT.
The promotion has been working to put together a new TV agreement with WBD this year and it had been long rumored that Kahn hoped to have a streaming home for AEW on MAX akin the to the arrangement WWE has in place with Peacock which is the current home of the WWE content library and its premium live events.
The Peacock arrangement has worked out well for both parties bringing new viewers and subscribers to Peacock while helping the WWE post viewership records for multiple live events by providing fans a cost-effective alternative (6.99 per month) for access to the whole library of content and every major event of which there are many, compared to the Pay Per View (PPV) model which cost fans $60.00 to see Wrestlemania 40. For a dedicated fan the choice is obvious.
AEW’s major events such as the recent Forbidden Door, are aired exclusively via PPV meaning AEW fans either must pony up big time for each happening or wait to see what happened via youtube clips, follow live blogs or see recaps on the shows later in the week, provided they have a pay TV option that offers TNT and TBS. Even more so, there is not a place to find AEW content via streaming aside from live TV providers such as Sling TV. This has severely limited its reach and ability to attract casual viewers as compared to the WWE which has its content available the day after it airs on Hulu, with multiple season archives again available on Peacock.
If WBD were to make a move to put its PPV library on MAX in its own hub alongside other brands, potential fans would have a much easier avenue to discover its content. There are no exact details as to exactly what kind of arrangement could take shape. We will keep an eye on this story as it continues to develop.
