WWE has reached an agreement with WBD and Bleacher Report that will see WWE grant BR the rights to its highlight clips going forward. This lets Bleacher Report keep expanding its pro wrestling coverage, including WWE. BR will have the rights to share clips of WWE programming such as NXT, Raw and SmackDown.
Once that news broke, fans started speculating about what it means for AEW coverage. Fightful Select reports that a source told them that “Bleacher Report has numerous content deals and this is another one that they can sell against and monetize.” The source said they still work closely with AEW and believe it will be positive for AEW, as WBD will have more resources dedicated to wrestling.
According to a press release sent out, Bleacher Report will also have additional ringside access through this WWE deal. This news comes as the future of AEW programming has been a hot topic among fans, given that AEW is signed with WBD through 2027. They do have a one-year option for 2028 on the WBD side.
AEW President Tony Khan has shared his excitement about the looming WBD-Paramount merger. Per the report, this new WWE deal with BR is not expected to affect conversations around an AEW TV extension, and those talks aren’t expected to happen for quite some time.
