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Those folks who know who to talk to seem to be saying that the AEW contracts are competitive with WWE, and have been described as "WCW level." This isn't really surprising given how much money the Khans have and how much they want TV networks and other potential business partners to know it.
Guys with their contracts up or coming up are in an excellent position for themselves. And I do stand by my bold prediction that AJ Styles could very well jump. The Khans were about to spend $800 million on a stadium. That much money is enough to pay AJ Styles $2 million for 400 years. They can back the truck up and it's important that they get perceived as big-time players when negotiating TV deals, merchandising deals, etc. If they want deals with WarnerMedia, Hasbro and the like, then looking like they can poach Vince McMahon's top guys, biggest stars and biggest merchandise movers is a great start. If it lands them a good toy deal, a video game and great slot on basic cable, then the insane amount of money they can pay Styles would be justified.
Guys like Styles, Nakamura and Omega are in a position to write themselves a blank cheque with the Khans. And that's something that Vince McMahon can't necessarily match in fear of blowing up his pay-scale. Is Omega going to be able to ask for $5 million a year if John Cena and Undertaker aren't making that much? If Omega gets $5 million, then does Styles get $5 million? What about Nakamura? How much does Becky Lynch ask for when her contract is up?
The difference between this and WCW is that the Khans don't necessarily have to build creative control into the contracts, they can learn that pushing these guys once they are way past their prime is going to chase people away, etc. And they don't need to be so focused on ratings. It's all about securing those TV rights fees and establishing those business partnerships that are going to get you visibility enough to nurture your revenue streams.
They're also a private company, so they don't need to justify the money to anyone but themselves. If Vince McMahon blows up his own pay structure and talent salaries go right up and profit margins therefore come down, investors are going to start asking questions about how vulnerable they are to other market forces.
AEW actually have a huge edge when negotiating with talent. If they decided to offer Omega, Nakamura and Styles five-year deals for $5 million a piece -- let's just go ridiculous with it -- that's $75 million between them over 5 years. But if they snagged them and got a television deal. Let's say that they manage to get something for $50 million a year. That's $250 million which is more than enough to pay off those contracts. It doesn't factor in any other expenses or revenue streams, mind you -- but it's really not insane when you're trying to get your presence felt.
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