TNT announces All Elite Wrestling will run weekly "later this year"

Originally published at https://www.postwrestling.com/2019/05/15/tnt-announces-all-elite-wrestling-will-run-weekly-later-this-year/

The announcement of All Elite Wrestling coming to TNT was made Wednesday ahead of WarnerMedia’s Upfront presentation in New York City.

A press release was issued confirming that AEW would be airing weekly on TNT “later this year” in prime time on the network. They added that the weekly matches will be available on multi-platforms and stream through their B/R Live streaming service, which will also include pay-per-views.

They have not announced specifics regarding the night of the week or the length of the show.

Tony Khan, President of All Elite Wrestling:

Wrestling fans have wanted — and needed — something different, authentic and better for far too long. AEW is answering the call. AEW is about more than wrestling. It’s about a movement fueled by wrestling fans who have been underserved and perhaps even disappointed by what the industry has produced in recent years. AEW is rising to the occasion with DOUBLE OR NOTHING and today taking it a step further by partnering with WarnerMedia, which is as committed as we are to making wrestling fans the one and only priority. With WarnerMedia, AEW is poised globally to redefine wrestling as we know it today.

B/R Live will be the exclusive U.S. digital carrier of Double or Nothing on May 25th with the card from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. This follows last week’s announcement that the card will be carried on ITV Box Office in the U.K. with other regions having access to buy the show online through Fite TV.

The Double or Nothing pre-show, “Buy In”, will also stream on WarnerMedia and AEW’s social media channels leading into the pay-per-view.

Michael Quigley, Executive Vice President of commercial operations, content strategy, and monetization for TNT and TBS:

All Elite Wrestling is a talent-forward, fan-first league whose inclusive approach to creating high-quality athletic wrestling competitions is already making waves with fans and attracting top-tier wrestlers. It is high-adrenaline, gripping entertainment and we can’t wait to bring it to fans everywhere with this game-changing new business.

The announcement marks the return of professional wrestling to TNT after 18 years when WCW folded in March 2001.

In September 1995, the network launched Monday Nitro, a one-hour live Monday night program, and went on to become a cable juggernaut and propelled WCW into becoming the top wrestling company in the world. The show would expand to a two-hour format in May 1996.

In January 1998, WCW expanded its programming with the addition of a two-hour Thunder program on sister station TBS while also adding a third hour to Nitro at the same time. In January 2000, Nitro reverted to a two-hour format with Thunder moving to Wednesday nights later that year. In early 2001, the company was purchased by the World Wrestling Federation with WCW losing programming on TNT and TBS.

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TNT is Geo blocked for me.

Also if they wanted to make an actual alternative that is a sports oriented product, they’d look at what Bloodsport has done and follow that formula.

And get bigger names outside of Jericho and Jim Ross.

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I think it’s great for the wrestling business. WWE is awful currently. This might be the shot in the arm we need. Especially if the rumours of a weekly show on ITV in the UK are true. Every home in the UK with wrestling on could be incredible (I know World of Sport was awful though)

I still can’t figure out why exactly that these guys are going to be considered major competition when the main guys (Cody, Bucks and even Kenny Omega) didn’t increase ROH’s TV viewership when it was available on a bigger platform and available more internationally.

They’re competing more with Impact, MLW and ROH right now…let’s maybe not set these guys up to fail like other shows were cough cough *LuchaUnderground cough cough

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Any word on Canadian outlets?

Let’s wait and see before getting too excited about this. All they announce is that they have a tv deal. We don’t know how long the show will be, when it will debut how how long the show will be.

If i was them, i would start with a one hour show on Tuesday night and debut in october. I know WWE and Fox are planning to have a show on FS1 on that day but but i don’t see being that big of a show unless it’s NXT that get the timeslot. Even then with a one hour show on Tuesday night on TNT you can easily just place it before or after whatever the WWE show on FS1 will be and get the people that used to watch Smackdown on tuesday nights to watch your show on another network instead. The last thing you want right now is to go against WWE when the new tv deals starts in october because they will be all gun blazing and no matter how much the IWC want AEW to succeed, you won’t get anybody else watching the show if booked against one of the WWE flagship show.

Define “Major Competition”.

I don’t think there is any major domestic competition, and internationally I’d consider NJPW to be a distant second at best.

So the goal for AEW (and the expectations I hear from most rational fans…they are out there) is an alternative to the current WWE brand of storytelling, and a definitive #2 promotion.

I can’t speak to international markets, but in America this TNT deal is one of the biggest broadcast platforms a wrestling company has had in years. Sinclair is a big media company, but their broadcast schedule for ROH wasn’t nearly as high-profile as being on a top cable network like TNT.

Now this could be all for naught if the AEW braintrust screw the pooch when it comes to booking/creative/matchmaking, but at this point I’m cautiously optimistic that fans could have a viable alternative on a big network for the first time over a decade. :100:

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Its so funny to me, the AEW haters absolutely refuse to say anything good about them, no matter what they do. Everything is about trying to diminish what they are doing, as if trying to offer an alternative, is a bad thing.

The WWE haters shit on pretty much anything, because they want Vince out and cant stomach it, even when he does do something good.

It is nearly impossible to win with wrestling fans in 2019.

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That’s not totally fair. Vince has conditioned fans not to accept any alternatives. Wrestling fans know he wouldn’t want us to watch something else so they are reluctant to support it.

Most WWE fans are of lower socioeconomic status. They aren’t doctors and stuff. They will do what Vince tells them. They are the ones that “Stood up for WWE” and continue to watch a pitiful 3hr program. The ones who complain are a vocal minority. Most are just simple people who watch and drink beer and hunt

I had no idea that Phil Mushnick posted here.

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Just the fanbase already proclaiming them WCW part two and thinking they will somehow usher in another book period even though…pro wrestling hasn’t been less watched on television across the board(not to mention most major sports programs as well).

It’s a recipe to set them up for failure before they even debut.

But I guess I’m just being a hater as someone else here put it so succinctly

Omega was never an ROH guy, and I’d say he’s a bigger draw than anyone in WWE. Add in Jericho and there’s already more starpower in one match alone than any of the other promotions you listed.

ROH doesnt have a regular time slot like AEW will. Impact and MLW numbers are paltry. And I dont think either group could have sold out MGM or that arena that held All In.

Weren’t you the same guy getting a boner when there was talk that AEW’s deal was pay to play? Then again you also think RAW draws 30,000.

And no one is saying they will run against WWE. By putting out a show that makes sense and doesnt treat its audience like morons they will already have an advantage.

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Are Omega and Jericho going to wrestle every show?

And Omega made TV shots for ROH and low and behold…

Also, a supershow that fills it’s seats with disenfranchised fans who’s only response to AEW so far is “hopefully this makes WWE be better” instead of “fuck yeah these guys are in town” isn’t a measurable metric yet.

ECW fans weren’t going to their shows because they wanted WWF to be better, they supported and even helped our their favourite product get on TV and PPV.

I’m not seeing the same brand loyalty here yet.

There is a huge difference between being on a small specialty channel, and Turner broadcasting. And, to be on TV during prime time is something RoH only dreams about

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They’ve had one show…

I guess two sell-outs (if you count All-In) and a TV deal isn’t a good enough indication?

LOL now we want “wait and see”?

Naw…they just another rasslin company now…lmao

What’s wrong with this forum?

Why isn’t everyone either excited for AEW or at least indifferent? What’s the downside of having competition (hopefully) and another place for wrestlers to work…

Like who gives a shit if some fans are overly excited or have high expectations.

Some very weird grinding of axes.

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I’ve said it before… There is literally no downside to wanting AEW to be monstrously successful. I don’t know why all fans are at the very least optimistic.

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It’s more fun being optimistic