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After spending months watching “experts” like Eric Bischoff boldly declare that AEW couldn't possibly earn a nine-figure-per-year extension from Warner Brothers Discovery due to their declining ratings, members of the promotion, from Tony Khan to Chris Jericho, have taken a victory lap following a massive new deal with $185 million a year.
Discussing the promotion's new deal and everything that comes with it on Busted Open Radio in promotion of WrestleDream, Jericho laughed at the “idiot experts” who thought they knew better, as AEW isn't going anywhere any time soon.
“I think we proved a lot of so-called ‘Experts,' and we made them look like idiots. We knew what was going on with this. The landscape changes constantly; numbers go up, and numbers go down, but the overall demo of what AEW brings to the table as a live sporting event is invaluable. We knew it was something that people would want to be involved with. Warner Brothers Discovery didn't want us to go anywhere, and you can see, $185 million a year for a company that has only been going five years. That's never happened before. Ever,” Jericho noted via Fightful.
“Obviously, WWE is the gold standard. They didn't have a deal like that five years in. With all the growing pains, good and bad, that AEW has, we're still such a young company. That showed we have a real commitment. We're not going anywhere. Tony Khan is not going anywhere. I'm not going anywhere, much to people's chagrin. Neither is the rest of the company. It's going to be a really great next three to five years. There is nothing worse than if AEW didn't get a great television deal. There is nothing better for the business and the fans than for AEW to thrive and be healthy. We are.”
With traditional television viewing at an all-time low, it makes sense that a company like WBD would prioritize a show that actually draws in weekly viewers to the broadcast and their DVR, as opposed to streaming shows that often come without commercials. But that isn't the only negotiation Jericho discussed on Busted Open, as he has his own new deal in the works, too.
On the subject of the new @AEW TV Deal, @IAmJericho explains what it means for the industry and how the "experts" were wrong.👀#BustedOpen247 @davidlagreca1 @bullyray5150 @THETOMMYDREAMER pic.twitter.com/SmGBn2Puvn
— SiriusXM Busted Open (@BustedOpenRadio) October 9, 2024
Chris Jericho is entering his own contract year with AEW
Turning attention to his own contract negotiations with AEW, Jericho noted that 2025 could mark a big year for himself, too, as it could mark his next big pro wrestling deal.
“I'm about ready to go into my biggest contract year ever. That's one of the things I laugh about when people are like, ‘Jericho just has to be on TV.' I don't have to do anything. My boss puts me on TV because he pays me money to be there,” Jericho explained via Fightful. “To know that much money is at stake 25 years after the Attitude Era, it blows my mind. This is a great time for the business and fans to be in it. Live sports is the last bastion of advertising. With all the streaming, nobody is watching commercials anymore. The only commercials are NFL, NHL, NBA, AEW, WWE, live sports. That's why it's worth that much money. For people going, ‘Oh, they're overpaying.' It's what they have left to make money. When WWE goes to Netflix, suddenly that changes the game as well. It's an interesting time for the television business, the wrestling business, and live sports and advertising.”
An AEW OG since the first episode of Dynamite, Jericho is one of the most important performers in AEW history due to his faith in the product so early on. While some fans may want him to retire, his clout should keep him employed for years to come.
