WWE inks exclusive content deal with WBD property, raising questions about AEW’s future

Paramount’s David Ellison and TKO’s Ari Emanuel photographed in Las Vegas in Jan. 2026 | Photo by Mindy Small/Getty Images Bleacher Report and WWE announced on Monday (September 28) a new multi-year partnership that will give Bleacher Report global highlight rights for all WWE programming. According to a press release: “Bleacher Report will hold global highlight rights across WWE’s programming slate, including Monday Night Raw, Friday Night SmackDown, NXT and WWE Premium Live Events such as WrestleMania, with content distributed across Bleacher Report, House of Highlights and B/R Wrestling —Bleacher Report’s dedicated wrestling brand and their associated social and digital platforms. B/R will also have a ringside presence at select PLEs.” While the press release frames the deal as a win for both Bleacher Report and WWE, the agreement also raises some questions about AEW’s future. Bleacher Report is owned by a division of Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD), which also owns the networks TBS