There had been speculation that AEW All In would be streamed on Warner Bros. Discovery’s MAX platform, but it ultimately aired on pay-per-view. According to the Wrestling Observer, AEW had initially hoped for the event to air on MAX, but the decision was made to go with pay-per-view because the technology was not ready at the time. However, it is now believed that the technology is ready for AEW to air shows on MAX, although no specific details have been announced yet.
A financial deal still needs to be worked out between AEW and WBD, as All In was a success on pay-per-view. It wouldn’t make much sense for AEW to air a show on MAX that could potentially be another big pay-per-view success unless it makes economic sense for both parties involved.
Bloomberg recently reported that WBD plans to begin airing live sports on MAX later this year, initially at no additional cost to MAX subscribers. However, starting in 2024, customers will need to pay an extra fee to access sports content. While basketball, baseball, and hockey were mentioned as potential sports to be aired, pro wrestling was not specifically mentioned.
It is possible that AEW could be involved in the live sports programming on MAX, but no official announcements have been made by the network. WBD currently has nearly 96 million global subscribers to its streaming services, and MAX is available for $10 a month with ads or $16 a month for the commercial-free plan. While MAX subscribers have access to a vast library of movies and TV shows from HBO and Warner Bros., they still need to pay for cable TV to watch live sports.
WBD currently broadcasts the March Madness college basketball tournament on its cable networks, and there have been discussions about using these games as a selling point for MAX. WBD holds media rights to popular sports such as the NBA and MLB, and they are exploring ways to leverage these rights to benefit their streaming business. While WBD has been in talks with major sports leagues to secure streaming rights, it remains to be seen if pro wrestling will be included in their plans.
For more updates on this developing story, stay tuned to WrestlingHeadlines.com.
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