AEW is looking to conquer new territory in 2026. Speaking on the Unlikely with Adrian Hernandez show, CEO Tony Khan outlined his ambitious vision for the year, which centers heavily on bringing the AEW product to new markets around the globe.
“Yes, absolutely. I want to continue to tap into those markets that have been so great globally for AEW,” Khan said. He noted that AEW content is currently available in over 150 countries thanks to partnerships with Warner Bros. Discovery and various international platforms. “We want to go and tap into that. So you’ve seen AEW expanding… going into these new markets, and we’re going to continue that in 2026.”
Khan emphasized that maintaining momentum and showcasing AEW as the home of the best wrestling in the world is his primary “vision and dream” for the year. However, he admitted he has to be careful with how he documents his ideas, referencing the infamous incident where a fan photographed his notepad during a Jacksonville Jaguars game.
“I got to be careful with what I write down… one time I think I was sketching things out in the morning and my notebook for Full Gear 2021, people saw I turned I didn’t want them to see my football notes… so I flipped it over the other side and it was my ideas for Full Gear,” Khan laughed. “And that’s still a pretty good photo… honestly, the Full Gear card was pretty cool. And that was about 90% of where we got with it.”
Khan also touched on recent creative successes, including the widely praised vignette featuring Darby Allin and Jon Moxley. He revealed that the Mount Everest element of the story was rooted in fact, praising Allin’s legitimate adventurous spirit. “To know that Darby Allin was the first wrestler ever to climb Mount Everest… I never had one concern. Knowing him, I knew he would pull it off.” Additionally, Khan credited “Hangman” Adam Page for the idea to cut a promo in Spanish at Grand Slam Mexico, admitting that Page’s Spanish skills far exceeded his own.