Tag: AEW on MAX

AEW announces details of PPV availability & launch date on HBO Max

Posted on by Josh Nason

After first being announced last October, AEW pay-per-views will finally be made available for purchase on HBO Max starting with this month’s All Out.

Announced by the company Wednesday in a press release, the events will be available to buy starting this Friday for U.S.-based HBO Max subscribers at the discounted rate of $39.99, a dip from the $49.99 offered by Amazon Prime Video, YouTube, PPV.com and linear TV providers.

Following a purchase, the PPVs will be available exclusively to six months and then will be available to all HBO Max subscribers. As noted in the release, the PPVs will be ad-free “with all marketing and promotions of AEW PPV events primarily centered on HBO Max.”

There is a line in the release that says “Purchase and access to PPV Content may vary by subscription provider” which means that availability to purchase PPVs will vary depending where the user purchased their HBO Max subscription. Unsupported devices are listed here.

PPVs will remain as a purchasing option for the aforementioned Prime, YouTube, PPV.com and linear providers. With a baseline HBO Max price (which includes ads) for $9.99/month, the total monthly commit remains the same for AEW fans, but with more content available using one option vs. the other.

Within the release was also revealed that All Out’s start time is moving up to 3 PM Eastern vs. the previously announced 8 PM PPV start time. While not specifically mentioned why, the show was going head-to-head with WWE Wrestlepalooza on ESPN’s new streaming service as that relationship kicks off.

Andrew Zarian first reported this past week that news was impending on the Max front.

When AEW announced it was re-upping with WBD in a new TV rights deal that kicked off this past January, the impending availability of PPVs on HBO Max was revealed. However, when AEW head Tony Khan was asked about an update on a media call earlier this year, he said there was no timetable ever given or an expectation that technology would be available in the first half of the year.

AEW broadcast partner to split TV networks, Max & other properties into separate companies

Posted on by Josh Nason

In a long rumored move, Warner Bros. Discovery announced on Monday that they intend to split up their various broadcast entities and other properties into two separate publicly traded companies by mid-2026.

One, called Global Networks, will house their various networks like TBS and TNT (the home of AEW’s weekly content), Discovery, Discovery+ and Bleacher Report. This will be headed up by Gunnar Wiedenfels who is WBD’s chief financial officer.

The other, Streaming & Studios, will house the WBD movie studio, DC Studios, the WBD television production arm, HBO, the soon-to-be renamed HBO Max streaming service where AEW programming can be seen, and their TV & movie libraries. This will be headed up by David Zaslav, current WBD president and CEO, whom Tony Khan frequently mentions when talking about their partnership.

This is unlikely to affect AEW in the short term as they are in year one of their latest WBD TV contract that runs through 2027 with an option for 2028. The next development in that partnership is the ability to offer pay-per-views on Max which is expected for 2025. Whether this intended split will change that timeline or eliminate it altogether remains to be seen.

Tony Khan media call: Max PPV update, AEW improvements, Women’s Tag Team titles

Posted on by Josh Nason

AEW head Tony Khan spoke to the media for an hour Thursday to help promote tonight’s edition of Collision in addition to this Sunday’s Double or Nothing.

On the call, Khan talked about his PPV distribution methods, perceived improvements to AEW Dynamite, the creation of Women’s Tag Team titles, and more.

Pay-Per-View

Khan said there is still no update for WBD to develop pay-per-view buying capabilities for AEW events on Max, noting there was never an expectation that the technology would be ready in Q1 or even Q2 of 2025 so there’s not a delay.

He didn’t address or talk about Triller and why they are not carrying this weekend’s PPV for U.S. buyers, instead putting over Amazon Prime.

Improvements to AEW Dynamite

Khan was asked about the perception that Dynamite has improved creatively and if he attributes that to anything specific like new people involved, new process, etc. Khan said he tightened things up and quipped there were less people involved, a nod to previous calls where he made it clear he had taken more personal control over the final decision process.

He said improvement is subjective, but added there’s data showing the AEW audience grew in Q1 and they are doing “really well” in Q2. He said he has gone back to his pandemic era mindset when they were in Daily’s Place. He said Collision data has also been great in Q1 and Q2.

He also referenced the Daily’s Place era later in the call when he said the locker room/backstage is the most positive its been since that time, and that he loves coming to work.

Other notes:

  • Asked if he would like to create Women’s Tag Team titles, he said he’s been focused on making 2025 a great year but that he would like to do that at some point. He said he has been focused on making the men’s tag team division better as well, despite injuries.
  • Asked about why Anarchy in the Arena isn’t in the main event spot, Khan said that’s not the first time that has been the case. A lot of matches were compelling for the final slot and that he feels it is important to focus on the whole card and not just match placement.
  • Khan surmised that the over-50 growth of his audience is on cable/satellite while younger viewers are on Max. He said it doesn’t affect him not having specific Max data as it’s most important they are growing in general.

He also hit on his excitement for Grand Slam Mexico, why AEW is a great spot for young talent, his pride for Darby Allin’s climb of Mount Everest, and more.

Click here to listen to the full call

JNPO: AEW quarterly business review with Brandon Thurston

Posted on by Josh Nason

On a new Josh Nason’s Punch-Out, we celebrate WrestleMania week with a look at AEW business because, well, why not?

Joining me for his quarterly visit is Brandon Thurston of Wrestlenomics who supplies some supporting documentation for subscribers on his website.

In our talk, we look back at January, February and March 2025 which included the following:

  • The dawn of the Max simulcast era and the always civil discussion about viewership numbers
  • AEW’s debut in Australia that was a big financial success and sparked a discussion about ring sizes
  • AEW getting some financial relief due to some high-level talent releases
  • Attendance, ratings, nuance, etc.

Join us for a fun hour-long discussion, available via our RSS, Spotify, or Apple Podcasts under the Wrestling Observer feed or by clicking below.

Click here to listen

Tony Khan AEW media call notes: Bandido, Sting & Lex Luger, spiked bat spot, Max viewership

Posted on by Josh Nason

Ahead of this Sunday’s AEW Dynasty pay-per-view in Philadelphia, AEW head Tony Khan held his usual pre-PPV media call was asked and answered questions about the Bandido/Chris Jericho match, Sting and the WWE Hall of Fame, the Max viewership report and more.

The full audio from the call can be heard below.

Bandido vs. Chris Jericho

Khan was asked if the match was off for Sunday since it’s disappeared from the website and wasn’t mentioned during the Dynamite rundown. Khan said there’s still one more TV show to go before Dynasty, but also said Bandido never formally accepted the mask vs. title challenge. He said he never confirmed the match for “good reasons” and then mentioned a reason being “the availability of Bandido to do the match and have the match play out safely for him and for us” which he didn’t clarify what that meant.

Sting and the WWE Hall of Fame

Asked about the potential of Sting inducting Lex Luger into the WWE Hall of Fame, Khan said he caught up with Sting in March but that topic didn’t come up and still hasn’t.

Max viewership

Khan didn’t deny anything written in the much-discussed BJ Bethel report this week about AEW viewership numbers on Max, but said he still he doesn’t get weekly reports like he does from Nielsen. He said he was excited about that report and that he does know AEW is one of the top sports events on Max week in and out, but not much else.

Moxley, Cope and Spike

Asked about some of the negative blowback online to the spiked bat to the back spot in the Jon Moxley vs. Cope match recently, Khan said it was a “hardcore moment,” put over how tough both guys were, and noted Moxley was able to wrestle this week. Khan overall didn’t sound like he put much weight in the negative comments.

For the full hour-long call, listen here.

We’re Live, Pal: AEW Dynamite on Max viewership

Posted on by Garrett Gonzales

It’s another episode of We’re Live, Pal as Andrew Zarian and I talk about what’s going on in wrestling today, available in audio form or free on YouTube (below).

While Andrew was playing with his Persian clubs, we discussed the following:

  • A discussion about B.J. Bethel’s story on AEW Dynamite viewership on Max
  • Andrew’s thoughts based on his discussion with folks who work on the Max product
  • John Cena and Cody Rhodes promo battle part three
  • Who should win between John Moxley and Swerve Strickland
  • When AEW women might be main eventing a PPV

You can also follow the show account on X.

For website subscribers, you can click here to listen (sub needed).

WOL: BRYAN ADDRESSES HIS ENEMIES

Posted on by Bryan Alvarez

Well, not really, but a lot of people think Bryan doesn’t like certain people, and in pretty much every case they are wrong. So we’ll talk the Botchamania video with FTR and Undisputed Era, Triple H and wiener questions, why Bryan would enjoy living next door to Baron Corbin, how he and Punk had more in common then they’d like to admit, how to ask questions at press conferences, MAX numbers, and tons more. A fun show as always so check it out~!

Click here to listen or watch on YouTube with a premium sub

WOR: AEW on Max viewership, WWE Raw report, WrestleMania 41 developments

Posted on by Bryan Alvarez

Image: WWE

Wrestling Observer Radio with Bryan Alvarez and Dave Meltzer is back with tons to talk about including estimates on the Max viewership for AEW and what we can pretty much ascertain for sure (more people are watching), our WWE Raw recap from Monday, WrestleMania 41 approaching, mailbag, and tons more.

A fun show as always so check it out~!

Timestamps:

Start: El Olympico (Julio Diaz) passes away

2:11: AEW’s numbers on Max

13:00: Ratings

15:00: GFL announces show details, Wyatt Hendrickson wins Hodge Trophy

22:19: WWE Raw recap, lineups for the week

41:10: Q&A

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AEW to remain available on all Max subscriber tiers

Posted on by Josh Nason

Despite some changes on what sports content will be available to Max subscribers in just over a month, AEW will remain accessible to all tiers according to a source close to the situation.

On Wednesday, it was learned that B/R Sports and CNN will no longer be available to Max’s ad-supported and least expensive tier starting on March 30th. Access to the NBA, NASCAR, the NCAA basketball tournament and other live sports will remain available for both their premium and standard tiers — a change from an initial plan to eventually offer CNN and B/R content at a $9.99/month premium.

There was some concern that since AEW programming can be found under the B/R Sports section, the ad-supported tier would lose the ability to watch it. However, that will not be the case as access to AEW content will remain unchanged.

AEW began its Max era in January 2025 as part of a new multi-year agreement with WBD that will include access to nearly all of the company’s past televised content and pay-per-views. Dynamite and Collision both simulcast live on Max in addition to its respective cable homes of TBS and TNT. At some point in 2025, fans will be able to purchase AEW PPVs at a discount.

As of late-September 2024, Max stated they had over 110 million subscribers worldwide.

AEW to add more archive content to Max library

Posted on by Josh Nason

Two months after beginning to make early archive content available on the Max streaming service, AEW will add even more coming up in just a few weeks.

First reported by PWInsider Friday, the remaining 30 pay-per-views from 2020 through 2024 will arrive on Saturday, March 1st. At that point, all AEW PPVs and special events (like 2019’s Fight for the Fallen and Fyter Fest) in the company’s history will be available to stream.

The next shoe to drop is the availability of the full archive of Dynamite, Collision and Rampage episodes which is currently limited to 2019, late-2024, and every show since January 1, 2025 when the new AEW/WBD contract began. The rollout plan for that content is still not known.

Also unknown is the date when current day PPVs will be able to be purchased via Max at a discount and the discount they will be offered at. It’s also unknown what the window of time will be between a current day PPV airing and then it becoming available to stream on Max for those that didn’t purchase it.

AEW reportedly among top streamed live sports events on Max

Posted on by Josh Nason

While media and fans try to dissect WWE Raw on Netflix viewership numbers, there has been no update from either AEW or WBD on how Dynamite or Collision has been performing on Max since the shows began simulcasting on January 1st.

That is, until now.

Fightful Select reported Friday that according to WBD sources, AEW “has been among the top streamed live sports events” since the simulcast kicked off this month. The report didn’t clarify whether that was a cumulative number or on a weekly basis.

The Max service currently offers live NBA, NHL, and the new women’s basketball Unrivaled league.

AEW Dynamite kicked off the Max simulcast era on January 1st with every subsequent Dynamite (TBS) and Collision (TNT) available both live and on-demand. The entire 2019 run of Dynamite and pay-per-views are also available for subscribers.

AEW and WBD signed a new media rights deal in the fall of 2024 with three years guaranteed and WBD holding the rights to extend for a fourth. Annual values have been reported anywhere from $150 million to $185 million, but were never formally announced by either side.

Wrestling Observer Radio: WWE & AEW streaming numbers, The Rock, Kenny Omega

Posted on by Garrett Gonzales

Dave Meltzer and I are back with our Friday episode of Wrestling Observer Radio, talking about all the big news from today’s Wrestling Observer Newsletter.

Here were some of the things we covered:

  • The passing of Black Bart
  • The SEC and Vince McMahon coming to agreement
  • Streaming numbers for AEW & WWE
  • AEW Dynamite rating
  • The Rock
  • Kenny Omega back on AEW
  • UFC’s new TV deal

Click here to listen (sub needed) or watch on YouTube (video sub needed)

Fight Game: AEW debuts on Max, our wrestling wishes for 2025

Posted on by Garrett Gonzales

Paul Fontaine subs in for John LaRocca on this week’s Fight Game as we talked about the major topics in the world of wrestling. Jeremy Finestone also joined us to preview this weekend’s Wrestle Kingdom and Wrestle Dynasty.

This show was also live streamed on YouTube which you can watch below.

We kicked off the show with both our Thumbs Up/Thumbs Down winners and losers of the week before going through our Top Five topics which included:

  • AEW on Max
  • Raw on Netflix preview
  • AEW Worlds End fallout
  • Wishes for the new year
  • Why you should watch Wrestle Kingdom and Wrestle Dynasty

Click Here to Listen (sub needed)

AEW Dynamite replays to air on TruTV, update on archived Max content

Posted on by Josh Nason

AEW Dynamite will be expanding to a potential new audience outside in addition to Max starting this month.

Per the network’s schedule, replays of the company’s flagship show on TBS will begin airing Fridays at 10 PM Eastern on TruTV starting with next week’s episode.

Part of WBD’s lineup of channels, TruTV is available in approximately 68 million homes in the U.S. and started undergoing a change last March with more sports coverage. Our Dave Meltzer has previously reported that TruTV is a potential landing spot for Ring of Honor as well.

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With the new multi-year TV rights deal taking effect Wednesday, so has the influx of archived content available on Max.

The first 12 episodes of Dynamite from October through December 2019 are now available in addition to 17 total consecutive episodes of Dynamite, Collision and Rampage from October 30 through December 21, 2024.

The company’s first five specials/PPVs from 2019 are also available for Max subscribers starting with Double or Nothing through Full Gear. It’s unknown what the schedule is for future episodes being added other than being on a “rolling basis.” AEW has more than 700 total hours of content as of now that is expected to be available.

AEW will begin their live simulcast of both Dynamite and Collision on Max starting Wednesday.