WrestleMania 39 Sees 29% Viewership Jump; What Success Means for WWE’s Future with Peacock, ESPN+
Wrestlemania 39 was a big hit for Peacock. How big? According to Deadline, the event generated the most hours watched of any live event in the service’s history other than the Super Bowl.
Overall, this year’s edition of Wrestlemania saw a 32% increase in users reached, and a 29% increase in hours viewed over last year’s stream of the event. NBCUniversal did not release specific numbers regarding how many fans tuned in, but the data it has made public shows that there can be no doubt that this year’s Wrestlemania was a success.
That success carried over to ancillary WWE programming, as well. Monday night’s episode of “Raw” on USA Network saw a ratings bump thanks to Wrestlemania, drawing the highest rating in the 18-49 year old demographic in three years. It drew around 2.26 million viewers, making it the second-most-watched episode of “Raw” in three years. Only the “Raw 30th Anniversary” special that aired in January brought in a larger audience, with 2.3M watchers.
Peacock has also seen big numbers from other live wrestling events this year. The “Royal Rumble” event in January saw a 52% year-over-year increase in viewers, so fans are clearly getting used to watching big WWE matches on the service. But is the wrestling promotion about to find a new streaming home, just as it’s beginning to gain real traction on Peacock?
That possibility looks more likely after the news this week that WWE was being purchased by Endeavor Group Holdings, which also owns the Ultimate Fighting Championship mixed martial arts promotion. UFC and WWE will be merged under the same corporate umbrella, and WWE CEO Nick Khan has already said that the two might pursue a unified streaming deal after 2026, when his company’s deal with NBCU expires. UFC has an exclusive streaming agreement with ESPN+, which carries all of its pay-per-view events.
The climbing ratings for WWE events on Peacock, as well as its effect on other NBCU wrestling programs, might give that company enough of an incentive to push hard to acquire the streaming rights for both combat sports promotions when they become available. The expense of UFC pay-per-views (currently $74.99 each) might give some Peacock users pause, but there’s no denying the increasing popularity of wrestling on the service, and that factor alone could be worth a big financial swing on NBCU’s part.
Those high ratings might also convince ESPN to dig deep in its pockets to acquire WWE’s streaming rights. Disney CEO Bob Iger and ESPN chairman Jimmy Pitaro have discussed the need for the company to be “selective” when pursuing big-ticket broadcasting and streaming rights, but if WWE keeps proving to be a viewership juggernaut on Peacock over the next couple of years, it might be hard for the worldwide leader in sports to stay away.
If WWE does join ESPN+, it would make the service a true standout amongst its peers. In addition to wrestling and UFC, the service would also have the rights to stream select MLB, NBA, NFL, and NHL games. It would instantly help raise the profile of a sports streamer that already offers more than 27,000 live sporting events every year.
It’ll be a few more years before WWE’s streaming rights are on the open market, and NBCU will be watching its numbers on Peacock closely until then. If they continue to improve at the trajectory they’re currently on, don’t expect Peacock to let them go without a brawl.
Peacock
Peacock is a subscription video streaming service from NBCUniversal that includes original shows, blockbuster movies, and classic television series. Peacock is home to “Yellowstone,” and “The Office,” as well as original hits like “Poker Face” and “Bel-Air.” You can also watch live sports including NFL, MLB, WWE, Olympics, Premier League, NASCAR, French Open, College Football and Basketball, and PGA Tour. Premium Plus subscribers can stream their local NBC feed in all 210 markets.