Recent developments in the professional wrestling landscape have started speculation about WWE’s strategic maneuvers, particularly in light of TNA Wrestling’s pursuit of a $10 million annual media rights deal. On Fightful’s The Hump podcast, Sean Ross Sapp discussed the potential implications of this deal, suggesting that WWE’s influence may be at play to limit All Elite Wrestling’s options in the competitive wrestling market. With WWE’s growing partnership with TNA and the timing of the media deal announcement, some fans and industry observers are questioning whether WWE is using TNA as a proxy to undermine AEW’s momentum.
TNA Wrestling, under the leadership of Anthem Sports Group President Carlos Silva, is aggressively pursuing a media rights deal valued at approximately $10 million per year to broadcast its flagship show, TNA iMPACT, live 52 weeks a year. This move aims to elevate TNA’s profile, leveraging its recent surge in visibility due to a burgeoning partnership with WWE. Silva, in an interview with JohnWallStreet, emphasized the importance of live programming and projected that a new deal could boost TNA’s viewership to 250,000–500,000 Nielsen-esque P2+ households, up from its current 100,000 for live episodes on AXS TV.
“A new media rights deal will help us build a more consistent fan base with larger reach. It will also provide us the opportunity to go live 52 weeks a year, and in today’s world live matters [in terms of fan interest and revenues],” Silva stated. “Something in the $10mm/year range is where we [and CAA] think we should be. We’re talking to [all the established] linear guys and a couple of newer platforms that need a foundational [programming] centerpiece.”
The announcement, however, raised eyebrows due to its publication on JohnWallStreet, a platform where WWE President Nick Khan is an investor. This connection fueled speculation that WWE may be orchestrating TNA’s push to secure a high-profile TV deal, potentially to compete for broadcasting slots that AEW might target.
Sapp speculated that WWE’s support for TNA could be a calculated move to limit AEW’s international and domestic broadcasting opportunities, especially following WWE’s exclusive move to Netflix in January 2025. WWE’s departure from certain international markets, such as Canada’s Sportsnet and Mexico’s Fox Sports, has created openings that TNA has filled, with AEW also securing a deal in Mexico
“The fact that it came from JohnWallStreet, where Nick Khan is an investor, makes you think,” Sapp remarked. “The speculation is that WWE wants to limit the options of AEW in terms of those TV markets. They’re not going to outright say it, but the timing and the outlet… come on, it’s not a coincidence.”
Dave Meltzer has also contributed to this narrative, noting in January 2025 on Wrestling Observer Radio that WWE sees TNA as a viable replacement for international programming slots vacated by its Netflix deal. Meltzer even speculated that WWE might eventually acquire TNA outright, further consolidating its influence.
TNA’s recent visibility boost stems largely from its partnership with WWE, which has seen cross-promotional appearances on WWE and NXT platforms, including premium live events and weekly programming on The CW and Peacock.
“We are [regularly] being featured on every major WWE and NXT platform – PLEs as well as weekly programming on The CW and their other [broadcast] outlets like Peacock,” Silva said. “This [has resulted in] a huge [television] audience lift for [us], along with all the social media support we get from [them].”
AEW, valued at approximately $2 billion and the second-largest wrestling promotion globally, has faced its own challenges, including declining ticket sales and viewership. However, its recent $555 million, three-year TV deal with Warner Bros. Discovery has solidified its financial stability, making it the second most profitable wrestling company in history. Despite this, WWE’s counterprogramming efforts, such as scheduling Saturday Night’s Main Event, NXT’s Great American Bash and Evolution 2 on the same weekend as AEW’s All In: Texas, suggest an ongoing competitive push.
WWE’s actions are seen as part of a broader strategy to maintain market dominance. WWE’s business model, reliant on streaming platforms like Peacock and Netflix, minimizes the financial risk of such counterprogramming, but the intent to overshadow AEW is clear.
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