WWE loses a massive media contract to AEW

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — All Elite Wrestling (AEW) and World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) have been going at it every Wednesday. AEW’s Dynamite faces off against WWE’s developmental territory in NXT on what appears to be a Wednesday repeat of the Monday Night Wars: USA vs. TNT.

Since the debuts of both programs, AEW Dynamite has been dominating the rating wars. Chris Jericho recently took the opportunity to explain the demographics to the viewership, proclaiming himself as the Demo God.

So what’s the latest blow to WWE?

WWE loses Sky Sports media deal to AEW

Kishan Prasad from Sportskeeda alludes to the news that WWE programming will no longer air on Sky Sports Italy. However, it has nothing to do with negotiations falling apart.

Prasad references the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, which states the network decided to part ways with the company after two decades. Sky Sports Italy alludes their reasoning to two reasons: the increasing broadcast rights costs to air the shows and declining viewership. Its parent company has ended their relationship for Germany, Austria, and the United Kingdom for similar reasons. Sky did express some interest in a deal renewal, but WWE turned it down.

What could further be a blow: the same network struck a media deal with AEW. The network will air AEW Dynamite every Friday night beginning July 31.

The rivalry between WWE and AEW is gradually picking up, with each promotion trying to outdo the other every week. For instance, WWE counterprogrammed AEW’s two-week Fyter Fest with a two-week revamping of The Great American Bash.

Ratings are going back and forth, but if AEW kicks off a Friday wrestling show in addition to Dynamite, they’ll go head-to-head with WWE Smackdown. AEW co-executive vice president Cody Rhodes did allude previously about additional programming. The new deal with Sky Sports could very well help pave the way to that becoming a reality.

For more AEW, WWE, wrestling and sports news, follow Jake Leonard @JakeLeonardWPMD, Ben Cox @Cox4Liberty and Heartland Newsfeed @HLNF_Bulletin on Twitter.

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Jake Leonard

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Jake Leonard, a broadcast media and journalism veteran, is the editor-in-chief of Heartland Newsfeed. Leonard is also GM and program director of Heartland Newsfeed Radio Network, wrestling editor and contributing writer for Ambush Sports, a contributing writer for My Sports Vote and Midwest Sports Network, and a former contributor to Bleacher Report and Overtime Heroics. He resides at home in Nokomis, Ill. with his dog Buster.

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