Chris Jericho has further discussed the new AEW deal and his own contract situation.
Following months of uncertainty and many unsure if it would actually happen, AEW secured a new media rights deal with Warner Bros. Discovery that came with a bump in media rights fees and will see the promotion remain under the WBD umbrella for the foreseeable future. While many thought the deal would not happen, Jericho knew it was always going to materialise.
Appearing on Busted Open Radio, the first-ever AEW World Champion declared that many “experts” were made to look stupid given the update and declared that he would not be going anywhere regardless of what some of the detractors had been hoping for:
“I think we proved a lot of so-called ‘experts,’ and we made them look like idiots. We knew what was going on with this. The landscape changes constantly; numbers go up and numbers go down, but the overall demo of what AEW brings to the table as a live sporting event is invaluable. We knew it was something that people would want to be involved with. Warner Brothers Discovery didn’t want us to go anywhere, and you can see, $185 million a year for a company that has only been going five years. That’s never happened before. Ever. Obviously, WWE is the gold standard. They didn’t have a deal like that five years in. With all the growing pains, good and bad, that AEW has, we’re still such a young company. That showed we have a real commitment. We’re not going anywhere. Tony Khan is not going anywhere. I’m not going anywhere, much to people’s chagrin. Neither is the rest of the company. It’s going to be a really great next three to five years. There is nothing worse than if AEW didn’t get a great television deal. There is nothing better for the business and the fans than for AEW to thrive and be healthy. We are.”
Chris Jericho Discusses His Contract
Much like many top stars in the wrestling world, Jericho has brought up his contract in the interview. A mainstay since day one of the promotion, Jericho was largely responsible for the successful launch due to his star power from appearances in previous promotions. Despite this, many have become put off by the new Learning Tree persona and have repeatedly called for Jericho to retire.
Addressing his contract and the criticisms from fans who feel that Jericho is forcing his way onto TV, the former World Champion set the record straight while also discussing the high market value of live wrestling:
“I’m about ready to go into my biggest contract year ever. That’s one of the things I laugh about when people are like, ‘Jericho just has to be on TV.’ I don’t have to do anything. My boss puts me on TV because he pays me money to be there. To know that much money is at stake 25 years after the Attitude Era, it blows my mind. This is a great time for the business and fans to be in it. Live sports is the last bastion of advertising. With all the streaming, nobody is watching commercials anymore. The only commercials are NFL, NHL, NBA, AEW, WWE, live sports. That’s why it’s worth that much money. For people going, ‘Oh, they’re overpaying.’ It’s what they have left to make money. When WWE goes to Netflix, suddenly that changes the game as well. It’s an interesting time for the television business, the wrestling business, and live sports and advertising,”
Jericho will challenge Mark Briscoe for the ROH World Championship at AEW WrestleDream on October 12th.
H/t to Fightful.
Featured image: AEW
