A long-running AEW show could be coming to an end according to a new report.
While wrestling fans still wait for official confirmation that an agreement has been reached in regards to a new media rights deal, a recent report from John Ourand in The Varsity Newsletter indicated that a new deal between AEW and Warner Bros. Discovery could be announced in a matter of days and is a considerable increase compared to the 2019 deal. Although the announcement date remains uncertain, follow-up reports have indicated that the details in Ourand’s Newsletter were similar to what they have also heard.
Although the news is positive for fans and the promotion given the uncertainty over the past few months, one show is unlikely to be continuing when All Elite Wrestling enters the next phase of media rights.
Analysing the report, Dave Meltzer noted that AEW content would air twice a week across 3 channels, meaning that TruTV would likely be airing repeats:
Ourand’s report was that AEW would air on TNT, TBS, and TruTV twice a week. Now if there are only two shows, Dynamite and Collision, and three stations listed, that would seem to indicate that Tru would get reruns or simulcasts. Tru is being rebranded as a sports station from 8-11 p.m. each night.
Continuing, Meltzer added that because of the aforementioned show line-up, Rampage would not continue in the next phase and the third show, likely called Shockwave, would be pitched to networks outside of the WBD umbrella:
This would confirm what another source indicated to us this past week that Rampage would not be continued, and that the third show, likely called AEW Shockwave given AEW just filed for a trademark for that term, would be the show being shopped around to FOX and likely others.
AEW Rampage Set To End Following Decline In Ratings
First airing in August 2022, the debut episode of Rampage saw Christian Cage defeat Kenny Omega to become the new Impact World Champion. One week later, one of the biggest events in company history took place as CM Punk made his return to the ring in front of a packed arena in Chicago.
While the show started out strong, subsequent weeks saw weaker line-ups presented and were more often than not taped ahead of time. As such, the show has seen a sharp decline in ratings over the years and has been very much presented as the 3rd show behind Dynamite and Collision.
In a further update, AEW Rampage drew its lowest-ever rating.