Tony Maglio of The Wrap appeared on the 411 Wrestling Interviews podcast to discuss AEW’s possible TV deal with Warner Media Group, which operates Turner Sports (TBS, TNT). Turner is one of the top media outlets that is in talks with AEW regarding a potential deal.

Maglio reported on The Wrap last week that Turner is in “advanced talks” with AEW for a weekly TV show that would likely air on TNT. The report stated that the deal is “definitely not signed” and the talks are “pretty complex” and “not imminent.” It was also noted that the AEW TV show might not be year-round, suggesting that an off-season for the promotion could be likely.

During Maglio’s appearance on 411 Wrestling Interviews, he stated that AEW’s deal would likely involve the company paying for their time slot.

“As excited as people are, they have cool t-shirts and a cool roster, you know, but they’re unproven, let’s be realistic,” Maglio said. “My understanding based on the people I’ve spoken to is that it would be more AEW paying for its time on TNT than Turner paying AEW for its show. Another very good wrestling reporter and I had been talking about whether that would be the case or whether it would be a revenue share, and we’d both heard rumblings and talked to people.

“Maybe a couple of months ago it might have been a little bit of a different story. But the truth is, when you’re talking to Turner, [they’re] a very well-established, very well-off company inside of gigantic parent company…it’s not the UFC. It’s not WWE, it’s not MLB. They have MLB, they have NBA. They know what they have to pay for. And I think currently, AEW has way more to prove than Turner has in terms of trying to get them to come to their networks. I think AEW needs this deal more than Turner does.”

Dave Meltzer of The Wrestling Observer Newsletter took to their message board to dispute the story. According to Meltzer, the time buy story is false and one of the reasons that AEW has not secured a television deal yet is “because of multiple bidders.”

“One hour is false. Time buy is false,” Meltzer wrote. “It’s the exact opposite. Look at sports rights, Bellator, Matchroom, UFC on ESPN, people are offering tons of money both for weekly live programming and also to get their streaming services starting. That’s the reason this thing is starting this year.

“One of the reasons the deal hasn’t been signed yet is because of multiple bidders.”

According to a recent report from Prowrestling.net, Showtime is also in talks with AEW regarding a deal.

Maglio responded to Meltzer on Twitter, however he didn’t address his assertion that AEW would be paying for their time slot. Instead, he responded to Meltzer stating that a “one hour” deal is false, noting that he was simply stating his opinion. He also addressed Meltzer shooting down last week that AEW programming would be seasonal, noting that AEW themselves had publicly discussed that option.

“Never said AEW show would be 1 hour,” Maglio tweeted. “Said 1 hour makes more sense than 3 when asked if it’d be a 3 hour show. We all assume 2. Dave also apparently made a thing out of me reporting that a source on Turner talks said not doing 52 weeks is a possibility. You know who has also said an off-season is a ‘possibility’? AEW.

“Many things are possible when a deal is not signed. I’ve also said multiple times an off season would be problematic and my personal opinion is that it’ll be 52 weeks/year.

“Job is to report what told by sources.”

You can check out Maglio’s tweets below:

https://twitter.com/TonyMaglio/status/1119043488967012353

https://twitter.com/TonyMaglio/status/1119044463542906883

Source: Wrestling Inc.

All Elite Wrestling has announced the first two matches for their “Fight for the Fallen” event – Kenny Omega vs. Cima and Brandi Rhodes vs. Allie.

Fight for the Fallen will take place on Saturday, June 13 from Daily’s Place in Jacksonville, Florida. A portion of proceeds from the event will be donated to victims of gun violence. This will be the third event from AEW.

Cody Rhodes, The Young Bucks, Chris Jericho, PAC and Adam Page are also advertised to be in action at Fight for the Fallen.

The pre-sale for Fight for the Fallen tickets began today at 9am through the link below:

Source: Wrestling Inc.

AEW has announced that their third major event, Fight For The Fallen, will benefit the Jacksonville Victim Assistance Advisory Council in Jacksonville, FL. The event will take place on Saturday, July 13 from Daily’s Place Amphitheater at TIAA Bank Field in Jacksonville.

Below is the full announcement on Fight For The Fallen:

ALL ELITE WRESTLING ANNOUNCES CHARITY PARTNER & TICKET INFO FOR “FIGHT FOR THE FALLEN” IN JACKSONVILLE ON JULY 13— AEW’s Third Major Event to Benefit Jacksonville’s Victim Assistance Advisory Council, Pre-Sale Code Unveiled on April 15 Episode of “Being The Elite” —

JACKSONVILLE, FL (April 15, 2019) – Even as anticipation for DOUBLE OR NOTHING on May 25 and FYTER FEST on June 29 continues to build, All Elite Wresting is already looking ahead to its third major event by returning to the scene of where it all started three months ago –Jacksonville, Florida.

“FIGHT FOR THE FALLEN” will take place in Daily’s Place Amphitheater at TIAA Bank Field at 7:30pm ET on Saturday, July 13, just a few feet from where AEW was first introduced at a rally and to millions of YouTube viewers around the world. Stars scheduled to appear during the inspirational event on July 13 include Cody, Matt Jackson, Nick Jackson, Kenny Omega, Chris Jericho, PAC, Hangman Adam Page, Brandi Rhodes, Allie and many more.

Fittingly entitled FIGHT FOR THE FALLEN, proceeds from the gate will benefit Jacksonville’s Victim Assistance Advisory Council (VAAC), which coordinates cooperative efforts among social service, criminal justice, mental health and other agencies to provide assistance to crime victims and their families.

“Last year Jacksonville endured a horrible mass shooting at the Jacksonville Landing, and the VAAC was a tremendous support for the community,” said Tony Khan, AEW President. “When we decided to host Fight for the Fallen, there was no question that AEW would stage the event here in Jacksonville and would give back to the organization that helped so many people during that incredibly tragic time.”

“We are extremely grateful to All Elite Wrestling and the ‘Fight for the Fallen’ event for this generous donation,” said Lenny Curry, Jacksonville Mayor. “Making sure victims of violent crimes and their families have the support they need at one of the toughest times in their lives is a top priority for me. This donation is crucial in helping continue our efforts and providing victim assistance services when it is truly needed the most.”

Pre-Sale Code / VIP Packages AEW will unveil a special pre-sale code during the April 15 episode of “Being The Elite” for fans to use to purchase FIGHT FOR THE FALLEN tickets on Thursday, April 18, from 9am-9pm ET at: ticketmaster.com/event/2200567D22098208. Tickets will go on sale to the general public starting on Friday, April 19, at 9am ET via http://www.ticketmaster.com/event/2200567D22098208.

VIP packages will be available for sale at a later date. All FIGHT FOR THE FALLEN ticket purchasers will be eligible to purchase VIP packages while supplies last.

To stay in touch with all the latest AEW news, check out @AEWrestling (Twitter), @allelitewrestling (Instagram), /AllEliteWrestling (FB), AllEliteWrestling (YouTube).

All Elite Wrestling AEW is a new professional wrestling promotion headlined by members of The Elite (Cody Rhodes, Nick Jackson, Matt Jackson, Kenny Omega) and Chris Jericho. For the first time in many years, AEW is offering an alternative to mainstream wrestling, with a growing roster of world- class male and female wrestlers who are poised to bring new spirit, freshness and energy to the industry. The inaugural event under the AEW banner is DOUBLE OR NOTHING on May 25 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, followed by FIGHT FOR THE FALLEN on July 13 in Jacksonville. For more info, check out @AEWrestling(Twitter), @allelitewrestling (Instagram), /AllEliteWrestling (FB), AllEliteWrestling (YouTube).

Victim Assistance Advisory Council The Mayor’s Victim Assistance Advisory Council (VAAC) coordinates and encourages cooperative efforts among social service, criminal justice, mental health and other agencies to provide assistance to crime victims and their families. The Council is composed of a chair and 26 members appointed by the mayor and confirmed by the City Council. Members serve terms of three years each. The 27 members represent a cross-section of representatives of community mental health, social services, criminal justice, education, the medical profession, crime victims and their advocates, and members of the general public.

As noted on Thursday, All Elite Wrestling is said to be in advanced talks with WarnerMedia/Turner Sports for their weekly TV show, believed to air on TNT, TBS or Tru TV, but most likely TNT. It was noted by The Wrap that the deal is “definitely not signed” and the talks are “pretty complex” but “not imminent.” It is not a sure thing that AEW will be revealed at their 2019 Upfronts presentation to advertisers on May 15, which was previously reported by a known insider on Twitter.

No deal has been signed as of Thursday, but there is some truth to TNT possibly being the home of the AEW TV show, according to the Wrestling Observer Newsletter. Word is that there is a potential TV deal from the Turner group and a second proposal from another group on the table. Prowrestling.net adds that the Showtime network has also been talked about as a potential rival suitor for AEW programming.

The idea is for AEW to have both a weekly primetime TV show and to be involved with a streaming package with the broadcast partner they they sign with. It was previously noted that AEW could air programming on TNT’s Bleacher Report Live streaming service.

The story on Thursday from The Wrap noted that the AEW TV show may not be year-round, which would indicate a potential off-season for the organization as they look to be more wrestler-friendly. The Observer reports that this is not accurate as the show would air year-round.

The current plan is for AEW to run a two-hour live TV show, likely airing on a weeknight, but not Monday or Friday due to WWE’s RAW and SmackDown. If they go with TNT, the show would not air on Tuesday nights due to TNT’s contract with the NBA. This leaves Wednesday or Thursdays as open nights on TNT. We previously noted that AEW had trademarked the “Tuesday Night Dynamite” name, indicating plans for a Tuesday night show, but Tuesday has reportedly been off the table for a while now. The day of the week could be different if they went with another network.

There’s no word yet on when the weekly AEW TV show could premiere, but October has been mentioned and would be the best bet scenario if negotiations are completed soon enough to make October viable, according to The Observer.

Source: Wrestling Inc.

As noted, Twitter insider @fightoracle reported that WarnerMedia/Turner Sports (TNT, TBS) was set to present All Elite Wrestling to advertisers at their 2019 Upfronts presentation on Wednesday, May 15 in New York City. This report came after it was recently stated by AEW announcer Jim Ross that AEW was close to signing with a network that many people have access to.

The Wrap now reports that Turner is in advanced talks with AEW for a weekly TV show that would likely air on TNT. It was noted that the deal is “definitely not signed” and the talks are “pretty complex” but “not imminent.” It is not a sure thing that AEW will be presented at the Upfronts.

The potential deal would see a weekly AEW TV series air on TNT, but AEW would also have a multi-platform existence. The Wrap noted that Turner’s Bleacher Report Live platform would be “the most sensible outpost for the sports entertainment overflow.”

It’s also possible that the AEW TV show would not be year-round, indicating that the promotion may have plans for an off-season. The Wrap noted, “That would likely be a combination of the newness of the league and its desire to be more wrestler-friendly than rival WWE, which has a punishing schedule for talent.”

The Wrap also reported that AEW’s first big event, Double Or Nothing on May 25 from Las Vegas, is set to stream on YouTube, Twitter and Facebook. It sounds like that could change as a streaming deal with a network is announced.

Source: Wrestling Inc.

Warner Media Group, which operates Turner Sports (TBS, TNT), will reportedly be presenting AEW at their upfronts to advertisers next month, per the @fightoracle insider account, which bears an uncanny resemblance to MMA insider Front Row Brian’s now-suspended Twitter account.

Upfronts are where major television networks make presentations and preview their upcoming fall and midseason shows so that advertisers can purchase commercials on them ahead of time. The upfronts are held in the third week of May in New York, and Warner Media are currently scheduled to present on May 15th.

https://twitter.com/fightoracle/status/1116120237844332544

As we previously reported, WWE Hall of Famer Jim Ross, who signed a three-year deal with AEW earlier this month, recently told WFAN Radio in New York City that AEW will have a weekly two-hour live TV show that premieres in October. While Ross declined to provide any additional details, he did say that the AEW TV show will air on a major network that everyone will have access to.

“[AEW] is overwhelming for me,” Ross said. “To be 67 years old and be anointed the voice of a brand that’s gonna be debuting in October on national television on a major cable network, which can’t be named now. When people hear what network we’re going on, they’re gonna be doubly excited. It’s a network we can all find.”

During an interview with Wrestling Inc. in February, AEW Executive Vice President Cody Rhodes told us that their potential deal could create a “massive shift in the pro wrestling industry.”

“I can’t talk about it but I know that I was quoted as saying, not by you guys, that ‘a TV deal was not important.’ And I think that in the context I was speaking, I was talking about how important social media and do-it-yourself brands are compared to the traditional TV median,” Rhodes explained. “But I also – let’s be serious, major TV is a huge thing. And it would be a massive shift in the pro wrestling industry. It would be a change-the-world-like move. But I can’t talk about any pending TV deals.

“A lot of the information that’s out there is very accurate about what we’re seeking to do and how frequently we’re seeking to do it,” Rhodes said. “But I don’t want to discourage any future partners. I can say that people have been really calculated about how we roll out announcements. We want to be proper. We can’t just stand on the podium in Jacksonville and say, ‘Hey, here’s the entire business model, here’s all of our plans, here’s x-amount of money.’ We can’t do that. I know the business of the business is very entertaining but I think if people put their trust in us like they have, we won’t let them down.”

Turner Sports has had a long history with professional wrestling, as Turner Broadcasting System purchased Jim Crockett Promotions in 1988, which was rebranded as WCW. WCW programming aired on TBS and TNT with WCW Monday Nitro on TBS going head-to-head with WWF Monday Night RAW from 1995 until the company was sold to WWE in 2001. Monday Nitro even surpassed RAW in the ratings for 83 consecutive weeks from 1996-1997.

Source: Wrestling Inc.

Japanese wrestler, Hikaru Shida, has been added to the AEW women’s division. Debuting back in 2008, Shida has worked for multiple promotions included Oz Academy, Ice Ribbon, and Pro Wrestling Wave.

Here is what the current AEW women’s division looks like: Aja Kong, Allie, Bea Priestley, Brandi Rhodes, Britt Baker, Hiraku Shida, Kylie Rae, Nyla Rose, Penelope Ford, Sadie Gibbs, and Yuka Sakazaki.

https://twitter.com/AEWrestling/status/1115610303780335616

Below is the trailer for the upcoming AEW / CEO Fighting Game Championship event at the Dayton Beach Ocean Center on June 29. The show is being called “Fyter Fest” and is billed as “The most luxurious gaming and wrestling festival of all-time.” Tickets for the upcoming event will go on sale in early May.