This year’s Dealmakers list, compiled by entertainment publication Variety, recognized several key figures in professional wrestling, underscoring the industry’s growing influence in the broader entertainment landscape.

On Wednesday, the magazine revealed that Tony Khan, president of AEW, WWE president Nick Khan, and TKO executives Ari Emanuel, Mark Shapiro, and Andrew Schleimer were all included in the prestigious list, which highlights individuals who have made significant deals and played pivotal roles in the entertainment sector.

The recognition for Tony Khan, who was mentioned first, was largely due to AEW’s groundbreaking deal with Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD), valued at a reported $185 million per year over multiple years. This agreement ensures that AEW’s flagship shows, Dynamite and Collision, will remain on TBS and TNT, while also being simulcast on Max. Khan’s leadership has played a crucial role in AEW’s growth, and his comments about the deal emphasized AEW’s historic achievement of being the first wrestling promotion to air live events on both major cable channels and a major streaming platform.

In the same article, Variety noted that AEW’s current valuation has surpassed $2 billion, positioning it as the third-most valuable combat sports company globally. While the article did not provide a specific source for this valuation, it underscores AEW’s rising stature in the industry.

Meanwhile, Nick Khan and several executives from TKO, the parent company of WWE, were also celebrated in their own segment of the list. Their inclusion was attributed to the massive 10-year, $5.2 billion deal struck with Netflix for exclusive WWE content. The Variety article provided a quote from Andrew Schleimer, who touched on the strategic benefits of partnering with a global distributor like Netflix, noting the potential for WWE content to reach nearly 300 million homes worldwide. However, there were no direct quotes from Nick Khan himself, and the commentary focused on the broader impact of the partnership.