[3] In February 2020, wrestling journalist Dave Meltzer directly asked Cody about the possibility of the promotion adding a secondary championship.

[4] The following month on March 30 on AEW's YouTube series Road to Dynamite, a secondary championship was officially announced.

[12] During the special Holiday Bash episode of Rampage on December 25, 2021, Cody Rhodes defeated Sammy Guevara to become a record three-time TNT Champion.

[13] The two were scheduled to have a rematch for the championship at Battle of the Belts I on January 8, 2022;[14] however, Cody was pulled from the event as he had been in contact with family who had tested positive for COVID-19, thus requiring him to quarantine.

Three days later, and initially not as part of a storyline, Wardlow's rental car was broken into; both his gear and the championship belt were stolen as a result.

[23][24][25][26] The championship is named after the TNT television network, which originally aired AEW's then-two weekly programs, Dynamite and Rampage, the latter of which premiered in August 2021.

[27] In January 2022, Dynamite moved to TNT's sister channel TBS, which was also owned by WarnerMedia (later becoming Warner Bros.

[10] During night one of the special New Year's Smash episode of Dynamite on January 6, 2021, a new belt was unveiled by Darby Allin.

This new belt returned to the design of the standard black strap version introduced by Darby Allin but with rhinestones added in the circular area behind the relief TNT logo.

[45] The original designer of the TNT Championship, Ron Edwardsen, also created the updated belt, which featured 1,577 rhinestones.

[47] At Fyter Fest on July 14, 2021, Miro unveiled a custom championship belt in the colors of the Bulgarian flag, along with his new persona, "The Redeemer".

Below the arms, the text "Древен и Вечен" (Bulgarian: Dreven i Vechen), which means "Ancient and Eternal," was added.

[48] On the May 20, 2022, episode of Rampage, Sammy Guevara, Tay Conti, and Frankie Kazarian destroyed the standard belt they stole from reigning champion Scorpio Sky.

Emblazoned on the end of the strap between the snap buttons was "8-24", referring to the numbers worn by late Lakers star Kobe Bryant.

[49] Following reigning champion Jack Perry's match on August 17, 2024, episode of Collision in the build to his defense against Darby Allin in a Coffin match at All In on August 25, Perry put his opponent Danny Orion in a body bag with Allin's name on it, along with the standard TNT Championship belt, which he spat on.

Daniel Garcia is the youngest champion at the age of 26, while Copeland is the oldest, winning the title a second time at 50 years, 142 days old.