AEW in talks with Turner, no deal signed yet

All Elite Wrestling is in talks with Turner on a broadcast deal that would see pro wrestling return to their airwaves for the first time in 18 years.

However, there is no signed deal as of now, reports our Dave Meltzer.

This verifies a Thursday report in The Wrap that Tony Khan’s new wrestling project is talking with the former home of WCW. However, Meltzer says the idea in the piece of going with a season vs. a year-round weekly product is not accurate. 

He also could not confirm TNT would be the destination for AEW, but that it is one of the suitors in play. AEW has not commented at this point.

Last week, new AEW hire Jim Ross said a two-hour show will debut this October on a major cable network which was verified by Meltzer Sunday. Meltzer added that two major US broadcast outlets that offer streaming services are interested in AEW.

If this deal was to move forward, Turner has several possible homes for AEW programming in addition to their sports-centric streaming service B/R Live. Turner Sports did dabble in streaming PPV last Thanksigiving with the Tiger Woods vs. Phil Mickelson golf challenge, but it was a technical disaster leading to the stream being made available for everyone free of charge and refunds for those who paid.

For decades, Turner was the home of pro wrestling on TBS and TNT, a relationship that ended when Turner canceled wrestling on both stations in 2001.

There will be more on AEW’s search for a broadcast home in the new Wrestling Observer Newsletter, out Thursday.