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WWE And ESPN Sign Landmark Rights Agreement For Premium Live Events Starting In 2026

WWE continues to expand its media portfolio by moving Premium Live Events to ESPN.
Rick Ucchino|
Cody Rhodes
Cody Rhodes | WWE

WWE and ESPN have announced a new five-year media rights agreement that will see the sports broadcasting network become the new home for WWE Premium Live Events, including WrestleMania, Royal Rumble and SummerSlam, starting in 2026.

ESPN, a majority stake of which is owned by The Walt Disney Company, will pay an average of $325 million per year in the deal, according to CNBC. That is a significant increase from what WWE receives in its current deal with NBCUniversal to broadcast all PLEs on Peacock.

“WWE has an immense, devoted and passionate fanbase that we’re excited to super-serve on our new ESPN DTC platform," ESPN Chairman Jimmy Pitaro said in a statement. "This agreement, which features the most-significant WWE events of the year, bolsters our unprecedented content portfolio and helps drive our streaming future.”

The new ESPN direct-to-consumer streaming service is set to launch on Thursday, August 21, according to Variety, just in time for the start of the upcoming NFL and college football seasons.

The ESPN DTC service will stream all WWE PLEs starting next year, in their entirety, with select simulcasting on ESPN linear platforms. WWE will continue to produce all PLEs with ESPN also having the option to air the company's pre- and post-show event coverage.

“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," said WWE President Nick Khan.

WWE continues to expand its audience

John Cena and Cody Rhodes
John Cena and Cody Rhodes | WWE

The move to bring all Premium Live Events to ESPN DTC is another significant step for WWE, and parent company TKO, as their media portfolio continues to expand.

“We are proud to reinforce the ‘E’ in ESPN at such an exciting juncture in its direct-to-consumer journey," TKO President Mark Shapiro said in a statement. "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 and Netflix kick-started a 10 year, $5 billion deal back in January that saw the streaming giant become the exclusive home for Monday Night Raw in the United States, in addition to PLEs for the international audience.

NBCUniversal will remain in the pro wrestling business as well with the USA Network in possession of the broadcasting rights for Friday Night Smackdown through 2029. Episodes of the Blue Brand will also continue to stream on Peacock.

WWE also signed a media rights deal with The CW Network to broadcast new episodes of NXT every Tuesday night. It is unclear if Premium Live Events for the developmental brand will also be moving to ESPN DTC next year.

The unlimited plan for the new streaming app will cost $29.99 per month, giving subscribers access to all of ESPN’s linear networks. Bundling options with Disney+ and Hulu will also be available.

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Rick Ucchino
RICK UCCHINO

Rick Ucchino is the Assistant Editor & Content Coordinator for The Takedown on SI. He also works full-time for 700WLW Radio in Cincinnati, Ohio as a local news and sports anchor, in addition to his time covering the Cincinnati Bengals for Sirius XM. Rick has been on the professional wrestling beat since 2019, having provided coverage for a number of outlets, including Fightful, SB Nation’s Cageside Seats and the Bleav Podcast Network. With an educational background in theater, creative writing and journalism, Rick focuses primarily on the storytelling aspect of pro wrestling, but he’s no stranger to the squared circle himself. He had the privilege of training with former WWE & WCW cruiserweight Jimmy Wang Yang for nearly two years and retired early due to back issues with a perfect 1-0 record in singles competition. Rick is a married father of two incredibly adorable children, who are budding pro wrestling fans themselves. Much to the chagrin of their mother. You can reach Rick at rwucchino@gmail.com

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