Posted in: Preview, Sports, TNT, Trailer, TV, WWE | Tagged: aew, all elite wrestling, bleeding cool, cable, Chris Jericho, Cody Rhodes, jon moxley, kenny omega, pro wrestling, streaming, television, The Young Bucks, tnt, tv, wednesday, wrestling

AEW, TNT Announce 2-Hour, Live Weekly Show: Wednesday, October 2; No Show Title?

Looks like "The Monday Night Wars II!" is going to have to stay more of a "metaphorical thing" (though if FOX gets its hands on NXT and uses it as counter-programming, we'll definitely have to shift the day of battle), with TNT and All Elite Wrestling (AEW) set to take over Wednesday nights starting October 2, from 8 p.m. ET to 10 p.m. ET. Matches will take place in different cities across the nation each week, with Washington, D.C.'s famed Capital One Arena the premiere location. No word yet on it will reamin simply "All Elite Wrestling" or if a specific title is being considered.

Ticket pricing and on-sale date for the televised live event will be announced on Monday, July 29, at 12 p.m. ET via AEW's social media platforms.

As part of its 2019 May Upfronts presentation, WarnerMedia announced that it would be tag-teaming with AEW to begin airing weekly matches on TNT in prime-time later in 2019, as well as streaming them through WarnerMedia's B/R Live and on pay-per-view. Founded by President/CEO Tony Khan, AEW is headlined by members of The Elite – wrestlers The Young Bucks (Matt & Nick Jackson), Cody and Brandi Rhodes, Kenny Omega, and Adam "Hangman" Page – as well as a roster that includes wrestling hall-of-famer Chris Jericho. Jon Moxley, Awesome Kong, Shawn Spears, Brit Baker, Joey Janela, Nyla Rose, Jimmy Havoc, Darby Allin, and more. Omega, Cody and The Young Bucks also serve as executive vice presidents of the company in addition to being in-ring talent, and Brandi Rhodes also serves as AEW's Chief Brand Officer.

"All Elite Wrestling is a talent-forward, fan-first league whose inclusive approach to creating high-quality athletic wrestling competitions is already making waves with fans and attracting top-tier wrestlers," said Michael Quigley, executive vice president, commercial operations, content strategy and monetization at TBS and TNT. "It is high-adrenaline, gripping entertainment and we can't wait to bring it to fans everywhere with this game-changing new business."

– Michael Quigley, EVP, Commercial Operations, Content Strategy and Monetization, TBS/TNT

In WarnerMedia and AEW's joint press release, the two companies made the case as to what will make the new wrestling promotion different from others (*cough*cough*WWE*cough*cough*) – beginning with the promise of "less scripted, soapy drama" and a stronger emphasis on the wrestling action. AEW also promises that wrestler will be able to "explore their characters and highlight their athletic abilities" – but what might prove the most interesting part of their plan (good or bad) is their promised use of analytics to enhance the product for the fans:

"AEW will raise the stakes for its matches and deepen fan engagement by tracking each competitor's wins and losses as the wrestlers pursue championships, analyzing their moves, assessing damage to their opponents, and providing insights into their winning streaks."

"Wrestling fans have wanted – and needed – something different, authentic and better for far too long. AEW is answering the call. AEW is about more than wrestling. It's about a movement fueled by wrestling fans who have been underserved and perhaps even disappointed by what the industry has produced in recent years. AEW is rising to the occasion with DOUBLE OR NOTHING and today taking it a step further by partnering with WarnerMedia, which is committed as we are to making wrestling fans the one and only priority. With WarnerMedia, AEW is poised globally to redefine wrestling as we know it today."

– Tony Khan, President/CEO, AEW

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