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I think the real interesting issue will be Fox vs NBC in terms of WWE's future. If NBC is going to make an actual play to own WWE's content (which most analysts see as the only reason NBC paid a $billion for WWE Network to be on Peacock) than they will have to overpay for whatever Smackdown's value is.
NBC is not going to pay $5billion for WWE just to have one of their shows on Fox. Vince certainly would want to be compensated in any NBC deal for the money he could have kept making with Fox.
Another big issue is that WWE Network deal goes for another 2+ years after the Fox Smackdown contract ends. I could see Vince signing a deal with NBC to air Smackdown for those 2 years, so those 2 contracts end around the same time, at which point NBC would make the purchase play. That is still about 4 and a half years away.
The big question then is would Fox want AEW as a replacement? AEW's show as it is today certainly couldnt air on Network TV. Would their hardcore fanbase even watch a more family friendly AEW? I really doubt Fox would want the perception that they lost Smackdown to NBC and replaced it with a bootleg version (which is what people outside of wrestling fans see it as)? Would AEW want to move Dynamite to Friday nights? They certainly aren't getting on any other day, no Wrestling Show is getting on Network TV on any day but Friday or maybe Saturday. Or would Fox rather just not have wrestling on their Network anymore?
Vince is likely to cash out, Shad has to at some point decide AEW needs to start turning a profit, and Tony has to be more professional than getting into Twitter spats with random people if he ever wants the perception of AEW to match WWE's in the business world. For as bad as WWE is, that is a brand that is at least respected in Corporate America.
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