By AEW president Tony Khan has revealed that Skydance CEO David Ellison has been “very excited and positive” about AEW since the company’s blockbuster $111 billion acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery closed earlier this month. Khan made the comments during Thursday’s AEW WrestleDream media call on October 15.
Tony Khan (Credits: Fightful)
A New Era at the Top
The combined company, now known simply as Skydance, officially completed its takeover of WBD on October 6 — ending years of speculation about the future of AEW’s media partners. The deal means Skydance now controls the networks that air AEW programming, including TBS, TNT and HBO Max, and has even taken a minority ownership stake in All Elite Wrestling itself.
Khan said he has been in discussions with Skydance since the merger wrapped, including direct conversations with Ellison. He also praised Warner Bros. Television chairperson Channing Dungey as “a big advocate” for AEW, and welcomed the news that WBD’s top executives are staying on board post-merger.
Khan’s Long Bet on the Merger
The AEW boss has been bullish on this exact outcome for months, repeatedly telling fans the merger would “make AEW stronger.” Khan has highlighted his existing relationship with Ellison — the two know each other from the NFL world, through NFL Films and CBS — and called the Skydance chief a genuine professional wrestling and sports fan who he believes will be “a great leader” for the combined company.
With AEW’s media rights deal running through the start of 2028 and an option to extend, all eyes are now on how the new Skydance leadership handles one of wrestling’s most valuable properties.
Also Read: AEW Dynamite Preview for October 14, 2026: Confirmed Matches, Start Time and How to Watch
Source: Fightful — read the full story there.
