Did WBD just make the move that will eventually lead to AEW streaming?

AEW on Max? Looks like we’ll have to wait a little longer to see if it happens.

One of the questions that AEW CEO, GM and head of creative Tony Khan frequently fields during media calls is about the possibility of AEW streaming its events — particularly its pay-per-views, which are available to stream through Bleacher Report, but on a per-event basis that contrasts with WWE premium live events available as part of a Peacock subscription.

Part of the reason Khan hasn’t ever really been able to provide an answer is that is isn’t up to him, but rather AEW’s broadcast partner, Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD). And despite owning the streaming service Max, part of the reason WBD hasn’t been able to do what many fans wish it would was technical, in the sense that Max wasn’t set up to stream live events.

Come early October, that will no longer be the case. WBD announced today that it is adding a live sports tier to Max on Oct. 5 that will initially be free to current subscribers and then cost $10 a month after that (on top of the existing Max monthly fee).

The sports tier, which will be called the Bleacher Report Sports Add-On package, is being built around the portfolio of sports leagues and events for which WBD Sports has broadcast rights, including MLB, NBA, NHL, the NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Championship (a.k.a. March Madness) and U.S. men’s and women’s national team soccer matches. There will be an extensive library of Bleacher Report-branded video content as well.

Noticeably absent from today’s announcement was any mention of AEW. But it’s possible that the launch of Max’s sports tier will provide both the infrastructure and impetus to fold in AEW PPVs at some point in the not too distant future.

Andrew Zarian of Wrestling Observer and the Mat Men podcast has been adamant that AEW will be on Max next year, and doubled down after today’s announcement by saying that “$9.99 a month extra would be well worth it” if it meant getting AEW PPVs and archived shows.

Another factor that could be holding up an AEW/Max announcement is that the promotion’s current deal with WBD runs through the end of this year, something that didn’t change with the launch of AEW Collision this summer. WBD reportedly has an option to extend the deal through 2024 as well.

That means putting AEW events on Max might require the two sides to come to an agreement that also includes streaming specifics since that wasn’t a consideration before. If that’s the final piece of the puzzle that needs to fall into place, it might just be a matter of time before everyone looks back on the Max live sports announcement as the kickoff to AEW’s streaming future.

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