ESPN scoops up WWE’s premium live events starting in 2026
ESPN scoops up WWE’s premium live events starting in 2026
Events like ‘WrestleMania,’ ‘Summer Slam,’ and more will soon be headed to ESPN.
It’s ESPN’s world, and sports fans are just living in it. That fact was made even more clear on Wednesday, a day which saw ESPN announce the launch date of its new streaming service, and which also saw the channel officially confirm its purchase of some NFL Media properties. In addition to those announcements, ESPN revealed that it had made a deal with WWE to snag the broadcast rights for its premium live events (PLEs) starting in 2026.
Key Details:
- ESPN-mania: WrestleMania and other PLEs are headed to ESPN starting next year.
- Flying the coop: Previously, WWE premium events were shown on Peacock.
- Broader implications?: WWE’s parent company TKO Holdings also owns UFC, which is looking for its own broadcast deal.
All premium live events (PLEs) from WWE will stream on the new ESPN direct-to-consumer (DTC) service beginning next year. Select events will also air on ESPN linear platforms. Subscriptions to the service will cost between $12 and $30 per month, but it wasn’t immediately clear whether WWE events would be on both of the service’s price tiers. It is also important to note that all consumers who have access to ESPN through a traditional cable and satellite subscription will also have access to the ESPN direct-to-consumer (DTC) platform via authentication. So those customers will not need to sign up for a second subscription to watch the PLEs.
“WWE has an immense, devoted and passionate fanbase that we’re excited to super-serve on our new ESPN DTC platform,” ESPN president Jimmy Pitaro said. “This agreement, which features the most-significant WWE events of the year, bolsters our unprecedented content portfolio and helps drive our streaming future.”
In addition to WrestleMania, ESPN will also get marquee monthly live events such as the Royal Rumble, Survivor Series, Money in the Bank, and more. Until the end of 2025, these events will continue to be found on the NBCUniversal streaming service Peacock. NBCU is set to begin paying $2.5 billion per year for NBA rights in 2025, so it’s not a huge surprise that the company decided not to go all-out to keep WWE PLEs.
“We are proud to reinforce the ‘E’ in ESPN at such an exciting juncture in its direct-to-consumer journey,” president of TKO Holdings Mark Shapiro said. “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.”
TKO Holdings is the parent company of both WWE and UFC, which is also on the hunt for a new broadcast partner. There are a couple of ways to interpret the WWE deal: first, that the working relationship between ESPN and TKO is a good one, and that the WWE deal increases the likelihood of their being able to negotiate a return of UFC events to ESPN. The second possible interpretation is that ESPN is increasingly convinced UFC is on its way out, and wants another combat sports event for its new streamer to prepare for that eventuality.
That situation will bear watching. What we know for sure, however, is that WWE premium live events will begin airing on ESPN platforms starting next year. How do you feel about the shift, WWE fans? Let us know in the comments section!
ESPN Select
ESPN Select is a streaming service that replaced ESPN+ and provides access to live NHL, MLB, and MLS games, PGA Tour Golf, international sports events, ESPN original programming, and a complete archive of “30 for 30.” Find out our review of the service and how to start streaming ESPN Select.