AEW gibt Partnerschaft mit WarnerMedia in den USA bekannt

All Elite Wrestling startet in diesem Jahr auf TNT in den USA, eine enge Zusammenarbeit mit WarnerMedia, die All Elite Wrestling auf verschiedene Plattformen bringt, ist am heutigen Mittwoch offiziell vorgestellt worden.

„Zum ersten Mal seit 20 Jahren dürften sich Fans auf ein neues Wrestling-Erlebnis einstellen“. Das verspricht die Presseerklärung, die All Elite Wrestling und WarnerMedia am heutigen Mittwoch veröffentlicht haben. Darin wird die plattformübergreifende Zusammenarbeit zwischen der neuen Promotion und einem der größten Medienhäuser in den USA offiziell bestätigt.

Gerüchte über eine bevorstehende Zusammenarbeit kursierten seit Wochen. „WarnerMedia wird seine Position als Next-Generation-Global-Media-Unternehmen nutzen, um diese Liga in ein globales Pro-Wrestling-Franchise aufzubauen“, heißt es.

GENAUER STARTTERMIN NOCH NICHT BEKANNT

Auf dem US-Kabelsender TNT, der zu den 10 größten Kabelsendern in den USA gehört, werden demnach „später in diesem Jahr wöchentlich Matches in der Prime Time“ ausgestrahlt, einen genauen Starttermin für die Ausstrahlung und einen Titel für ein erwartetes wöchentliches Format nennt die Pressemitteilung indes noch nicht. Bereits im Vorjahr sicherte sich AEW den Titel „Tuesday Night Dynamite“, allerdings laufen auf TNT dienstags in der Basketball-Saison häufig NBA-Übertragungen. AEW wird ganz sicher aber „live und in der Prime Time“ auf TNT laufen. Spekuliert wird demnach über Ausstrahlungen am Dienstag oder Mittwoch.

Zudem wird es Events im Pay-Per-View-Format geben, die auch auf der Streaming-Plattform „B/R Live“ von WarnerMedia in den USA gezeigt werden. Bereits AEW Double or Nothing, am 25. Mai, wird auf B/R Live ausgestrahlt, die kostenlose Pre-Show „Buy-In“ zudem auf sämtlichen WarnerMedia- wie AEW-Social-Kanälen gestreamt (in der Nacht vom 25. auf den 26. Mai ab 1 Uhr in Deutschland).

We’re back in the wrestling business! #AEW @AEWrestling pic.twitter.com/1DVRLRdQgd

— TNT Drama (@tntdrama) 15. Mai 2019

PLÄNE FÜR ALL ELITE WRESTLING 

In der Mitteilung werden weitere Details zum geplanten AEW-Produkt verraten. Darin wird für AEW weniger gescriptete Soap-Opera versprochen, dafür mehr Athletik und eine sportlich realere Darstellung inkl. vieler sport-analytischer Elemente. Wrestler sollen mehr Freiheiten erhalten, ihren Charaktere herauszuarbeiten und ihre athletischen Fähigkeiten zu entfalten. Verstärkt will man auf Statistiken setzen, die Matches eine größere Bedeutung geben und Bindung der Fans zum Produkt stärken sollen; generell werden Siege und Niederlage eine größere Bedeutung haben als anderswo im Wrestling und klar herausgestellt.

Mit dem Start im Herbst wird TNT erstmals seit dem März 2001 wieder Wrestling zeigen. Auf dem einst von Ted Turner geschaffenen Kanal lief damals WCW Monday Nitro.

Zum Empfang von AEW Double or Nothing in Deutschland folgen Informationen in Kürze hier auf Power-Wrestling.de

In New York stellt WarnerMedia heute Programm-Highlights für den Herbst vor, hier wird auch AEW-Personal anwesend sein. Entsprechend werden wir im Laufe des Tages hier noch ggf. weitere Neuigkeiten ergänzen.

WarnerMedia Partners with All Elite Wrestling for Multi-Platform Launch of Groundbreaking New Wrestling League

TNT to Air Weekly Matches Later This Year

Inaugural May 25 Event Available on B/R Live and via Pay-Per-View

AEW to Introduce a New Generation of Diverse Wrestlers and Give Fans a New Wrestling Experience for the First Time in 20 Years

May 15, 2019 – WarnerMedia announced today that it is partnering with All Elite Wrestling (AEW), the new professional wrestling promotion featuring a world-class roster of diverse male and female wrestlers, giving fans a new wrestling experience for the first time in 20 years. WarnerMedia and AEW together will build this powerhouse sporting league from the ground up and will begin airing weekly matches later this year. With this league, AEW is introducing a new generation of wrestlers to fans, offering fun, gripping and authentic athletic matches that will make wrestling more accessible to a broad audience. WarnerMedia will utilize its position as a next-generation global media company to build this league into a global pro-wrestling franchise.

Founded by President and CEO Tony Khan, AEW is headlined by members of The Elite, which includes all-star wrestlers The Young Bucks (Matt & Nick Jackson), Cody and Brandi Rhodes, Kenny Omega, and Hangman Page, and a roster that includes the legendary Chris Jericho. Omega, Cody and The Young Bucks also serve as executive vice presidents of the company in addition to in-ring talent, and Brandi Rhodes also serves as Chief Brand Officer.

Later this year, WarnerMedia will provide exclusive multi-platform access for fans to watch AEW events, airing live weekly matches on TNT in prime time, as well as streaming them through WarnerMedia’s B/R Live and on pay-per-view. A leading digital sports enterprise, B/R Live’s high fan engagement will provide an invaluable opportunity to build AEW’s audience.

“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,” said Michael Quigley, executive vice president, commercial operations, content strategy and monetization, TBS and TNT. “It is high-adrenaline, gripping entertainment and we can’t wait to bring it to fans everywhere with this game-changing new business.”

“Wrestling fans have wanted – and needed – something different, authentic and better for far too long,” said Tony Khan, President and CEO of AEW. “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.”

Focused on producing fast-paced, high-impact competitions, AEW offers fans less scripted, soapy drama, and more athleticism and real sports analytics, bringing a legitimacy to wrestling that it has not previously had. Wrestlers will also be given more freedom to explore their characters and highlight their athletic abilities. Introducing statistics to wrestling for the first time ever, AEW will raise the stakes for its matches and deepen fan engagement by tracking each competitor’s wins and losses as the wrestlers pursue championships, analyzing their moves, assessing damage to their opponents, and providing insights into their winning streaks.

B/R Live will serve as the exclusive digital streaming partner in the United States for AEW’s inaugural event, DOUBLE OR NOTHING, on Saturday, May 25, at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. DOUBLE OR NOTHING, which sold out in under 30 minutes, features an exhilarating card including the headline clash between Kenny Omega and Chris Jericho; Cody taking on his brother Dustin Rhodes; The Young Bucks battling the Lucha Bros for the AAA World Tag Team Championship; Hangman Adam Page clashing with PAC; and Britt Baker, Nyla Rose and Kylie Rae competing in a three-way match.

Additionally, the hour-long live pre-show special THE BUY-IN will stream on WarnerMedia and AEW’s social channels. THE BUY-IN includes the first ever “Casino (Battle) Royale,” which will see 21 competitors including Jimmy Havoc, Billy Gunn, MJF and Jungle Boy entering the ring in waves of five wrestlers every three minutes followed by one final entrant, lucky number 21, all fighting it out in the ring until there is one winner, whose reward will be a future title shot against the first ever AEW World Champion.

The media rights deal was negotiated by Khan and Bernie Cahill, co-founder of Activist Artists Management, LLC, an entity in which Khan is also an investor and partner.

About WarnerMedia

WarnerMedia is a leading media and entertainment company that creates and distributes premium and popular content from a diverse array of talented storytellers and journalists to global audiences through its consumer brands including: HBO, Warner Bros., TNT, TBS, CNN, DC Entertainment, New Line, Cartoon Network, Adult Swim, Turner Classic Movies, truTV and others.

WarnerMedia is part of AT&T Inc. (NYSE:T).

All Elite Wrestling

AEW is a new professional wrestling promotion headlined by members of The Elite (The Young Bucks, Kenny Omega, Cody and Brandi Rhodes, and Hangman Page) and Chris Jericho. For the first time in many years, AEW is offering an alternative to mainstream wrestling, with a growing roster of world-class male and female wrestlers who are poised to bring new spirit, freshness and energy to the industry. The inaugural event under the AEW banner is DOUBLE OR NOTHING on May 25 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, followed by FYTER FEST on June 29 in Daytona Beach, followed by FIGHT FOR THE FALLEN on July 13 in Jacksonville. For more info, check out @AEWrestling (Twitter), @AllEliteWrestling (Instagram), /AllEliteWrestling (FB), AllEliteWrestling (YouTube), and additionally, AllEliteWrestling.com.