On April 27, the NHL and Turner officially announced a seven-year media rights agreement that will see regular-season, Stanley Cup Playoff and Stanley Cup Final games televised on TNT and TBS. The deal is set to begin in the 2021-22 season.
Fans wondered how the deal might impact AEW and on Wednesday, May 19, they found out as it was announced that AEW Dynamite would move to TBS beginning in January 2022.
Speaking to the New York Post, Brett Weitz, general manager of TBS, TNT and truTV, discussed AEW's move and how the NHL deal played a role in the decision.
“Both TBS and TNT have an incredibly storied history with wrestling, so the idea of us being able to put more AEW onto TBS is a natural fit,” he said. “Did the NHL have anything to do with it? Sure. NHL had something to do with it. NBA had something to do with it, the COVID schedule, the ton of preemptions. When we looked where the consumer’s gonna be, where wrestling fans were going to be, we want to give them the most opportunity to consume as many shows as possible. We felt TBS had an opportunity to be the network and the best platform for expansion.”
After the NHL deal with Turner was signed, AEW President Tony Khan stated that it would have to be a good deal for AEW if they were to move.
Not only will AEW Dynamite be moving, but AEW will add a third hour of programming beginning on August 13 with the debut of Rampage on TNT. Plus, TNT will host quarterly AEW special on the network.
You can find out more about AEW moving to TBS in 2022 by clicking here.
