AEW CEO Tony Khan: The breakup of Warner Bros. Discovery won't affect our business
The looming breakup of struggling TV player Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD) won't bodyslam All Elite Wrestling's (AEW) business, says CEO Tony Khan.
"We have great relationships with everybody at the top, both on global networks and streaming and studios," Khan told Yahoo Finance at the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity on Tuesday (watch above). "Mr. Zaslav [CEO David Zaslav] himself put our deal together. Gunnar [CFO Gunnar Wiedenfels], who will be running global networks, also was very involved in our deal."
Warner Bros. Discovery said this month it will split up amid the shift to streaming that's financially hammering its legacy TV assets. The company joins rival Comcast (CMCSA) in separating TV operations from streaming assets.
Last October, AEW and Warner Bros. Discovery signed a multiyear media rights deal for a reported $185 million annually. The wrestling league's two weekly shows, 'Dynamite' and 'Collision,' air on Warner Bros. Discovery's TBS and TNT networks. As part of the new deal, AEW's programming began streaming on Max for US subscribers in January.
AEW was launched in 2019 by Tony Khan, a longtime wrestling fan, and his father, Shad Khan. The promotion represented the first credible rival to the WWE since WCW folded in 2001.
Shad and Tony Khan are co-owners of the NFL's Jacksonville Jaguars and Premier League soccer team Fulham FC.
AEW debuted with an impressive roster of talent, led at the time by former WWE star Cody Rhodes. While Rhodes has since returned to the WWE, the league has maintained a roster of top talent, including former WWE stars Jon Moxley and Bryan Danielson.
Besides the big media breakups, the operating landscape for AEW is ever-shifting.
In September 2023, Endeavor completed a $21 billion merger between WWE and UFC, forming TKO Group (TKO). Netflix (NFLX) began exclusively streaming WWE's flagship Raw show in January as part of a $5 billion, 10-year rights deal.
Speculation has since surfaced that TKO Group may look to unload WWE.
Meanwhile, the competition for eyeballs has never been fiercer as Gen Z spends outsized time on platforms such as YouTube and Spotify.
"I think they [linear TV networks] still have a strong life. I just don't know how long it is," former BET CEO Debra Lee told Yahoo Finance at Cannes Lions about legacy media.
Lee is currently a board member at Warner Bros. Discovery.
"The viewing audience is still there," Lee added. "You know, you look at channels like BET or TNT or Discovery, so the audiences are still there. Not everybody wants to be on streaming."
Read more from Yahoo Finance's coverage of the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity
Time CEO on embracing AI: It's better to have a seat at the table
X CEO Linda Yaccarino rejects claims of advertiser pressure, touts X Money, other progress under Musk
Marriott CEO on summer travel demand: We haven't seen any softness
Brian Sozzi is Yahoo Finance's Executive Editor and a member of Yahoo Finance's editorial leadership team. Follow Sozzi on X @BrianSozzi, Instagram, and LinkedIn. Tips on stories? Email brian.sozzi@yahoofinance.com.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
41 minutes ago
- Yahoo
66% of Americans Are Making Purchases Earlier Than Planned, Due to Tariffs or Other Concerns, According to New Position Imaging/Harris Poll Survey
Concerns Drive Early Shopping; Secure Delivery Options Key to Supporting E-Commerce for Big-Ticket Items STRATHAM, N.H., June 18, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- As Americans navigate a shifting retail landscape marked by inflationary fears and confusion over tariffs, a new survey, commissioned by Position Imaging and conducted by The Harris Poll, reveals consumer sentiment around shopping and shipping behaviors. Nearly two-thirds of Americans (66%) report they will make certain purchases sooner than planned this year, primarily driven by concern over price increases tied to tariffs (51%). More than a third (36%) will shop early due to concerns of products going out of stock. While convenience likely continues to fuel online shopping, concerns about delivery logistics, particularly for larger purchases, are reshaping consumer behavior. Nearly 7 in 10 Americans (69%) say they are more likely to purchase oversized or big-ticket items, like TVs or exercise equipment, in-store rather than order them online for delivery. Among apartment and condo dwellers, this trend holds steady at 66%. "It's clear that consumers are feeling vulnerable when it comes to how, and whether their purchases will arrive safely, particularly for more expensive or oversized items," said Ned Hill, Founder and CEO of Position Imaging. "Our latest findings reaffirm that this concern is not just background noise, it's actively influencing shopping behavior. As online shopping accelerates, trust in secure, scalable, and future-proof delivery solutions is increasingly shaping where and how consumers choose to buy." Importantly, the survey found that 64% of Americans would feel more confident making oversized item or big-ticket purchases online to be delivered if they had access to a secure package storage room. This number rises to 68% among apartment and condo residents, a demographic often most impacted by the delivery challenges experienced at multifamily properties and student housing. Younger Americans are significantly more likely to be making purchases sooner than planned this year, with 87% of those ages 18–34 and 83% of those ages 35–44 saying they have or will expedite purchases, compared to just 66% of those ages 45–54, 53% of those 55–64, and 38% of those 65+. The data shows a generational divide, with Gen Z and Millennial consumers more proactively adjusting their shopping behavior. "As tariffs and other concerns drive earlier and more deliberate purchasing decisions, it's clear that reliable delivery infrastructure has evolved from a nice-to-have amenity into a foundational component of modern multifamily living," added Hill. "Secure package storage rooms, such as our Smart Package Room solution, remove friction from the fulfillment process and ensure that all packages–even oversized ones–are secured inside an access-controlled room for convenient resident pickup." Position Imaging's Smart Package Room system is an all-in-one package management solution that automates the process of package delivery and pickup using AI-powered computer vision technology. The future-proof, customized solution is deployed across residential, student housing, and commercial properties nationwide, providing a more secure and efficient experience for couriers, property managers, and residents alike. Survey MethodologyThis survey was conducted online within the United States by The Harris Poll on behalf of Position Imaging from June 3-5, 2025 among 2,081 U.S. adults ages 18 and older. The sampling precision of Harris online polls is measured by using a Bayesian credible interval. For this study, the sample data is accurate to within +/- 2.5 percentage points using a 95% confidence level. This credible interval will be wider among subsets of the surveyed population of interest. For complete survey methodology, including weighting variables and subgroup sample sizes, please contact: View original content to download multimedia: SOURCE Position Imaging Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
New York Post
an hour ago
- New York Post
Florida radio host starts bogus Hulk Hogan rumor with wrestler hospitalized: ‘Might not make it'
Hulk Hogan is not on his deathbed. After radio host Bubba the Love Sponge reported Wednesday on air that the 71-year-old wrestling legend was on his last legs, TMZ confirmed through Hogan's representatives that this is not the case. 'If you did some sniffing around, you might find him in a hospital near you and it's not good,' Bubba said Wednesday morning of Hogan's status. Advertisement 'I got some pretty reliable information last night that there are phone calls being made to various family members about getting to town to come say your goodbyes.' Bubba said these initial reports that he was making came from some 'rock solid' and 'pretty damn reliable' sources. 'Allegedly, Hogan is in the hospital and I heard people say that he might not make it,' Bubba said. Advertisement But Hogan's reps shut this down, saying that yes, the retired wrestler was hospitalized, but it was to address lingering neck and back troubles and he is 'by no means on his deathbed.' 3 Hulk Hogan in 2018. AFP via Getty Images They reported that Hogan is already back to moving around. Advertisement The WWE Hall of Famer has been battling his fair share of ailments, including a neck surgery just last month when he had a 'little fusion procedure' to make him 'feel a little better.' The procedure involved fusing bones together to relieve pain from pinched nerves in the neck. 3 Hulk Hogan has battled many surgeries but is not on his deathbed. Chris Pizzello/Invision/AP Hogan was said to have made a 'quick turnaround' after the surgery. Advertisement Hogan also told WWE superstar Logan Paul in 2024 that he had at least 25 surgeries from 2014-24. 3 Hulk Hogan raised eyebrows in May when he debuted a two-toned beard look. @hulkhogan/Instagram 'I've had 10 back surgeries,' Hogan said during an appearance on Logan's 'Impaulsive' podcast. 'Both knees and both hips replaced, shoulders — everything.' While he's gone through countless procedures to this point, Hogan seems to still be going strong.
USA Today
an hour ago
- USA Today
Lorde's 'Man Of The Year' TikTok trend and why Gen Z copes with humor
Lorde's 'Man Of The Year' TikTok trend and why Gen Z copes with humor Lorde's 'Man Of The Year,' a song about gender identity, is trending on TikTok for an unexpected reason: Gen Z creators are posting videos sharing their negative experiences with their ex-boyfriends over the track. Thousands of videos listed under the song ironically make fun of something a man did wrong over the song from Lorde's upcoming album, 'Virgin.' 'Got me pregnant at freshly 20 yrs old. Promised me everything. Left me a month after finding out. Blocked me and everyone I know on everything. Got with a new girl. And still doesn't care how it all affects me or his baby,' one user wrote over a viral June 7 video posted to the song. More than 63,000 posts are listed under the hashtag #manoftheyear. Many feature photo sliders of screenshotted text messages from relationships gone wrong. Creators shared videos about pregnancy horror stories, infidelity and threats of domestic violence, opening up a conversation about how young people use humor as a coping mechanism to talk about traumatic events. The trend's popularity eventually led Lorde herself to respond. 'These messages...' she captioned a June 11 TikTok video of her eyes widening in reference to the trend. Is Gen Z sad? Study shows they're more open about struggles with mental health Gen Z is more open about mental health than past generations When asked to describe their current mental health or well-being, just 15% of members of Gen Z polled said it was excellent in a 2023 study by Gallup and the Walton Family Foundation. Gen Zers report having experienced negative emotions such as stress, anxiety and loneliness, the study said, and 47% of those polled said they are thriving in their lives right now – a figure among the lowest across all generations in the U.S. today. That's a big decline compared to a decade ago, when 52% of millennials in that same age range said their mental health was excellent, the study noted. And in 2004, 55% of people aged 18 to 26, including both millennials and Gen X respondents, reported excellent mental health. Ryan Jenkins, a bestselling author who has written extensively on Gen Z and millennials, previously told USA TODAY that social media for better or worse has given Gen Z "a platform for their voices from day one to be heard and outspoken." He says technology has in many ways given Gen Z "an overstimulation" that no other generation has had to deal with. Gen Z uses humor to cope The trend provides insight into how young people use social media and humor to cope with relationship trauma. Creators used the trend to share their experiences with racism, unwanted attention or aggressive voicemails and inappropriate responses from men regarding family deaths. 'Get over yourself. I never loved you. Never have, never will,' one screenshot of texts from the trend read. Another featured a man yelling at his girlfriend of three years regarding her recent miscarriage. Variants of the trend also touched on body shaming. One woman shared, 'I was sleeping at my boyfriend's house and it got hot so I took my clothes off and he told me to put them back on cus my body is gross.' In a May 15 Rolling Stone cover story interview, Lorde opened up how recovering from an eating disorder, healing from a break up and reflecting on her gender identity inspired the song. Users were quick to point out the paradox of straight women using a song about gender fluidity to talk about their ex boyfriends. 'I'm so sick and tired of the man of the year trend where straight women dunk on their ex cishet bfs when the song is literally about being nonbinary/gnc and it's directed to the self,' one user posted on TikTok. 'Sometimes a song is not about you!' But songs have all kinds of meanings for people, and evidently this struck a chord. Platforms like YouTube and TikTok have changed the way young people talk about their mental health. And whereas the cultural norm on Instagram is a more polished aesthetic, TikTok's trend-driven community feels more informal and prioritizes user engagement, creating a fertile environment for personal moments to go viral. When the comment sections on users' videos are filled with support, it builds a sense of solidarity and peer connection. Humor is an extremely useful and common coping strategy that can help some process such a heavy and traumatic event, according to Marni Amsellem, a licensed psychologist. For others, it can lighten the emotional severity of the trauma as well. According to Jean Twenge, author of "iGen: Why Today's Super-Connected Kids Are Growing Up Less Rebellious, More Tolerant, Less Happy--and Completely Unprepared for Adulthood," Gen Z is more pessimistic than millennials, which might explain their inclination toward dark humor, a "type of humor you have when you're feeling negative emotions." For Gen Z, it's another example of using online spaces to widen the conversation about mental health. And mental health experts agree that's a good thing. Terry Collins and Jenna Ryu contributed to this report. Rachel Hale's role covering Youth Mental Health at USA TODAY is supported by a partnership with Pivotal Ventures and Journalism Funding Partners. Funders do not provide editorial input. Reach her at rhale@ and @rachelleighhale on X.
