By Jason Powell, ProWrestling.net Editor (@prowrestlingnet)
WWE issued the following press release on Wednesday to announce ESPN as the new home of WWE premium live events in the United States.
BRISTOL, Conn. and STAMFORD, Conn. (August 6, 2025)—ESPN, a subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company (NYSE: DIS), and WWE, part of TKO Group Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: TKO), today announced a landmark rights agreement as ESPN platforms, including the new ESPN direct-to-consumer streaming service, will become the exclusive U.S. domestic home of all WWE Premium Live Events (PLEs), including the two-night cultural phenomenon WrestleMania, starting in 2026. This deal makes ESPN home to the highest-profile WWE events of the year.
The ESPN DTC service will stream all WWE PLEs annually, in their entirety, with select simulcasting on ESPN linear platforms. Marquee PLEs include WrestleMania and Summe
Jimmy Pitaro, Chairman, ESPN: “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.”
Mark Shapiro, President and Chief Operating Officer, TKO: “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.”
Nick Khan, President, WWE: “WWE’s agreement with ESPN is a pivotal moment for our millions of fans across 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.”
ESPN platforms, including its DTC service, will have the opportunity to stream WWE’s pre-and post-event shows tied to all Premium Live Events.
All of ESPN. All in One Place. Coming Soon.
For the first time ever, ESPN will offer its full suite of networks and services directly to fans, along with an enhanced ESPN App that integrates game stats, betting information, fantasy sports, commerce, multiview options and a personalized SportsCenter For You. Designed to give fans more choice, flexibility and access to all of ESPN, these new features and functionality will be available to all fans who watch on the ESPN App on mobile and connected TV devices, whether they subscribe directly or through a traditional pay TV package. For more visit the ESPN DTC Press Kit.
Powell’s POV: The Wall Street Journal reports that it’s a five-year deal with $1.6 billion. The new ESPN streaming network will cost $29.99, but it will not cost extra for those who have ESPN through satellite or cable. The announcement raises the question of how much of a play Netflix made for the U.S. PLE package. They had a chance to be the worldwide exclusive home for WWE PLEs. Was Netflix simply outbid or is there more to the story?
Well, there goes my Peacock subscription…
But what about Fuck Island and…well, I’m sure they have other things. I’m embellishing and it has gotten better since the WWE deal started, but I don’t watch it much aside from the occasional new movie or if I want to catch up on an NBC TV series.
Well, I guess *I* won’t be watching any PLEs come 2026. That’s about a 300% increase(was about $100/year, just raise to $130-ish/year for peacock; not it’ll be approx $360/year) and it ain’t worth it. Talk about bom and bust. When the bubble pops…
I have to agree I already have the Disney, hulu , Espn package I am not going to pay more for more Espn.
If you do the math, it won’t be that much of an extra cost, assuming you cancel Peacock. The highest tier sub for Peacock is somewhere around $15. ESPN+, which you said you have, is $12. ESPN+ will come with the new ESPN service, so if you upgrade your ESPN+ and drop Peacock, you’re paying a minimal amount more per month.
What I’m trying to figure out is if you have an existing tv subscription with the ESPN suite of channels, like Jason said, you can use those credentials to access the new ESPN app. But what happens when they start broadcasting PLEs? Will the PLEs be available to those using their cable credentials or will the PLEs get stuck behind a paywall for those who don’t subscribe directly to the service?
These will NOT be on ESPN+, these will only be on the new ESPN streaming service they are launching soon and will cost $29.99 unless you already have cable. So that means anyone with Peacock will be having to almost TRIPLE what they pay each month to watch PLEs, and you won’t even get access to their past TV catalog.
Correct. The NXT PLEs are also not included, and there are fewer main roster premium live events than in the past. If you’re a sports fan who has ESPN on the right cable or satellite provider, you’ll actually save money if you cut Peacock, but it’s going to be $29.99 per month for everyone else. The simple solution is to get a VPN and watch it all on international Netflix.
It was my understanding there would be no math. Anyway, there’s a list going around of cable and satellite companies out there that will give you access. I wouldn’t panic if your company isn’t on the list. There’s still plenty of time for your company to make a deal with ESPN before next year. I would worry if it doesn’t happen during NFL season because that’s the most leverage ESPN will have over the cable and satellite providers.
Why were you paying that much for Peacock? Every summer and every Black Friday, for at least the last 3 years, they’ve offered the annual subscription for either $19.99 or $24.99.
oh there’s definitely more to this story. EPSN is probably on the end losing UFC to Amazon. I like peacock so I’m keeping it for other reasons. but I’m going back to streaming the shows online. I’m not paying extra for that. Vince did alot of dirt and some awful things, but selling WWE to keep other people from running it is going to haunt him and us until the end of times.
I don’t know if it would be any different under Vince had there never been a scandal. It’s possible he would have taken the higher paying deal that was mentioned during the TKO call, but ultimately he would have a responsibility to make the most money he could for shareholders. I can’t remember the specifics, but he and ESPN were close to a deal for one of the TV shows or the PLEs to ESPN.
Wanna watch a PLE? You need an ESPN subscription.
Wanna watch RAW? You need a Netflix subscription.
Wanna watch the WWE wrestling archive library which includes WCW, WCCW, AWA, etc? You need a Peacock subscription.
At some point, fans are gonna bail on the product because of cost.
FWIW, I can’t imagine the library will stay with Peacock. No idea where that will land. But it could get worse if they sell the NXT PLE rights to another streamer.
Nick Khan talked about shopping NXT PLE rights and AAA. The library would need to be talked about too unless they think they can monetize it on with the WWE vault on You Tube.
Yes, a Khan interview and the TKO call are both recapped via the main page.
Btw,as a streaming-only household, we haven’t been able to watch Smackdown in forever becauseyou have tk have whatever-the-hell.. So there’s that.
So from what I understand customers who already have ESPN will get the PLES for no extra cost?
According to the link above in the story that is the case. But for some reason I doubt that is going to be the case for the ples
It depends which cable or satellite company you get ESPN through.
Does this mean no more PLEs on Peacock or Netflix? Just ESPN? I like WWE, but not enough to get another app that I’ll never watch anything else on.
Netflix only has PLEs outside of the United States, and will continue to have them. This deal does suck though because it means having to pay $30 a month to watch just PLEs, at least with Peacock you got all the PLEs plus thousands of hours of TV for $12
The Peacock PLEs will end next year prior to WrestleMania. If you got the PLEs on Netflix, then you don’t live in the United States or you use a VPN. In either scenario, you can still watch the PLEs on Netflix internationally.
Guess I won’t be watching WWE PLEs anymore. I am not paying $30 a month to watch them (and outside of football, I don’t watch sports that often). Even if you don’t watch much non-WWE stuff, at least on Peacock you get all the PLEs plus thousands of hours of past TV episodes for $12 a month. Plus, now this means you will need THREE different streaming apps to watch all WWE content.