Recent WWE deal could affect AEW's contract negotiations - Reports

AEW is scheduled to renew its television deal with Warner Bros. Discovery in the coming months, but the company could soon be roped into a balancing act involving WWE RAW, NXT, and the NBA. A new report has shed light on the domino effect potentially created by SmackDown's recent deal with NBCUniversal.

WWE struck a deal with NBCUniversal in September that will take Friday Night SmackDown away from FOX and put it back on USA Network. The deal is reportedly worth over $1.4 billion, enough to cause a seismic shift in the wrestling landscape and drastically impact NBC's budget.

However, according to a report from Fightful Select, NBCUniversal is also expected to bid for the rights to air NBA games, which currently still air on TNT. With NBCUniversal paying top dollar for SmackDown, it's unknown whether the network will be able to keep RAW and NXT.

The NBA is also reportedly looking for a massive rights increase for the 2025 season, further putting the status of both WWE RAW and AEW programming in question as the two cable TV networks get set to battle over basketball rights potentially.

Talks are ongoing between AEW and Warner Bros. Discovery, but Fightful noted that the two sides have been unable to come to a deal thus far, as Tony Khan has a particular value in mind for his company's library and pay-per-view events.

SmackDown's move to USA Network might have big consequences for AEW

With NBCUniversal snagging WWE SmackDown from FOX, there's a decent chance that RAW and NXT will be looking for a new home before their current deals are up.

Enter Warner Bros. Discovery, which has been the home of AEW since 2019. In an interview with SI Media earlier this year, former USA Network executive James Andrew Miller opined that WBD may want to bring WWE programming to its network:

"I think so. I wouldn't be surprised, despite the fact that money is such an issue for them; I wouldn't be surprised if Warner Bros. Discovery wouldn't like a slice of that WWE pie," he said.

If TNT loses its NBA rights, Warner Bros. Discovery would have more than enough budget freed up to go after the rights to RAW and NXT. But if that happens, All Elite Wrestling might be the odd man out.

While that scenario is purely hypothetical, it's an interesting view into just how intertwined the rival wrestling promotions are.

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Do you think RAW and NXT will move from USA Network? How do you think this will affect AEW? Let us know in the comments section below!