Tony Khan has been recognized as one of the top dealmakers of 2024.
Variety posted their list of Dealmakers for 2024. AEW CEO Tony Khan was right at the top. The write-up highlighted how Khan secured AEW’s multi-year media rights deal with Warner Bros, Discovery, which was worth a reported $185 million. The deal will see AEW come to the Max streaming service. Per Variety, AEW is now valued at more than $2 million. This makes AEW the third-most valuable combat sports company on the planet.
Tony Khan also commented on the honor in Variety’s write-up. He said, “Our new arrangement signifies that AEW will make history as the first professional wrestling promotion to simulcast events weekly on top cable channels and a top streaming platform.”
Variety characterized the Dealmakers by saying, “The honorees on Variety’s 2024 Dealmakers report continued to work on behalf of their clients. On the whole, the deals weren’t as plentiful or as rich, but, necessity being the mother of invention, often more innovative. They approach the coming new year with a mix of optimism and uncertainty….”
TKO Executives Also Named
Ariel Emanuel, Nick Khan, Mark Shapiro, Andrew Schleimer of TKO were also named on the list, which highlighted the deal that saw WWE merge with UFC to form TKO.
The TKO write-up is as follows:
“Last year, Endeavor merged Ultimate Fighting Championship with World Wrestling Entertainment under the TKO Group Holdings banner. In January 2024, TKO’s leadership quadrumvirate closed a $5.2 billion, 10-year deal to make Netflix the exclusive home of WWE’s flagship show “Raw” in the U.S., Canada, U.K., Latin America and other territories beginning in January 2025. As part of the pact, Netflix will be the home for all WWE shows and specials outside the U.S. from that date forward, giving roughly 80% of international territories immediate access to 100% its content, with the rest of the globe filling out their WWE lineups as outstanding deals expire.”
Click here to see what Khan had to say about AEW All In Texas.
WrestleZone will have coverage of AEW Dynamite as it airs on December 18.
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