TNT President says second AEW show will be ‘re-adapted’ Dark

Shortly after the announcement of a new, extended deal between All Elite Wrestling and TNT, Wrestling Observer’s Dave Meltzer reported that the second show mentioned in the press release would be in addition to AEW Dark, the current series taped prior to Dynamite each Wednesday and released on YouTube the following Tuesday.

But don’t carve another hour out of your schedule just yet.

The Wrap’s Tony Maglio caught up with Kevin Reilly, President of TNT & TBS and Chief Content Officer for HBO Max, at the Winter 2020 Television Critics Association (TCA) Press Tour and got a different story:

TNT is taking over YouTube series “AEW Dark,” Turner president Kevin Reilly told TheWrap hours later during his executive session at the Television Critics Association press tour.

“AEW Dark” currently streams Tuesdays on YouTube, but Reilly told us he does not yet have a weeknight for the cable version. The adapted show, which he said may be rebranded and renamed, will air weekly on TNT — though perhaps not 52 weeks per year, Reilly said.

“We’re going to embellish [‘AEW Dark’ on YouTube] and put some additional material, kind of behind-the-scenes, kind of docu-follow stuff, if you will, about the athletes and the stories,” Reilly said. “We think that’s going to end up being a really good, robust, different kind of show.”

But will there still be an “AEW Dark” presence on YouTube? Or any original All Elite Wrestling matches, for that matter?

We posed those questions to Reilly.

“I think we should continue to put some stuff out on YouTube, just to build that bridge — but not the whole show,” he responded.

Sounds like this could lead to not only more screen time and development for AEW’s roster and stories, but perhaps a little more narrative cohesion for the company overall. Plus, it won’t task fans with following yet another show.

Sounds good to us. Your thoughts, Cagesiders?