ESPN and WWE today announced a landmark agreement which will see ESPN Platforms becoming the exclusive U.S. home of all WWE premium live events starting in 2026.
The brand-new ESPN DTC service will stream all WWE premium live events annually with select events also simulcasting on ESPN’s linear platforms. WWE will retain the production of each event.
This will replace WWE’s deal with Peacock next year and will see ESPN paying a whopping $325 million per year for the events in a five-year deal worth $1.6 billion.
NBC Universal paid approximately $1 billion for all the WWE content when WWE shifted from the WWE Network domestically.
“WWE has an immense, devoted and passionate fanbase that we’re excited to super-serve on our new ESPN DTC platform. This agreement, which features the most-significant WWE events of the year, bolsters our unprecedented content portfolio and helps drive our streaming future,” said Jimmy Pitaro, Chairman of ESPN.
Mark Shapiro, TKO President and Chief Operating Officer, added, “We are proud to reinforce the ‘E’ in ESPN at such an exciting juncture in its direct-to-consumer journey. WWE Premium Live Events are renowned for exactly the type of rich storytelling, incredible feats of athleticism and can’t-miss, cultural tentpole experiences that have become synonymous with ESPN. Through our UFC relationship, we have experienced firsthand how transformational an ESPN presence can be, and we know this will be an exceptional partnership at a time of great innovation for both companies.”
WWE President Nick Khan said that the company’s agreement with ESPN is a pivotal moment for their millions of fans in the United States.
“The leader in sports entertainment partnering with the biggest brand in sports media. Bringing WWE’s flagship events to ESPN’s platform is tremendously exciting. We know the sky is the limit,” Khan said.
Colin Vassallo has been editor of Wrestling-Online since 1996