Tony Khan: AEW has been a ‘proven, consistent winner’ as cable industry changes

Tony Khan believes AEW has proven itself to be a “consistent winner” amid the ever-changing cable industry.

While at Super Bowl Radio Row this week, Khan sat down for an interview with CNBC Sport. When asked how AEW is doing as a business, Khan said this will be the company’s biggest year ever in terms of revenue. That’s because of AEW’s new media rights deal with Warner Bros. Discovery — which Khan says provides a “path to the future” now that Dynamite and Collision are streaming on Max. Khan said WBD has given AEW great opportunities, and he thinks they have consistently delivered.

“This is our biggest year ever. Our revenue is so much bigger now with our new contract,” Khan said. “It’s much bigger, multiple times bigger than ever before on revenue because of our new deal. Which is, I think it’s well known, it’s a much bigger deal now with AEW Dynamite and Collision simulcast and streaming every Wednesday and Saturday on TBS and TNT. Now with Max added in, we’re creating also as one of the top sports streaming shows. And it’s a path to the future. And as the cable industry has changed, AEW has been a proven, consistent winner year in, year out. We do great on TBS and TNT. And now we’re a top show for Max. And it’s great to be associated with a company that, frankly, for us, has given us all these great opportunities. And I think we’ve delivered.”

Khan said AEW programming is seeing growth on Max, building a new audience without cannibalizing the existing viewers on television.

CNBC host Alex Sherman asked Khan if he would consider making AEW a publicly traded company one day.

“I don’t want to,” Khan responded. “I think we have a great family business. I want to build — I’m still a relatively young executive, and someday, I’d like to have a family, and hopefully they can work in the business. It’s a family business.”