On Wednesday, it was announced that ESPN’s upcoming direct-to-consumer streaming platform will become the primary venue for WWE’s most significant live events such as WrestleMania.
Disney’s sports division is set to shell out approximately $1.6 billion over five years in a deal with the WWE, commencing in 2026. This rights fee is almost twice the annual $180 million paid by NBCUniversal, the previous carrier of these events on Peacock.
On August 21st, ESPN is debuting their brand-new streaming service. By paying just $29.99 per month, viewers can enjoy ESPN’s channels and additional content without requiring a traditional pay TV package.
The service will transport the top 10 annual shows organized by WWE, such as the Royal Rumble, Survivor Series, and SummerSlam.
Following ESPN’s declaration that they will own a 10% share of the division, the agreement has been established. This allows ESPN to manage the NFL’s media assets, such as the NFL Network and RedZone. As a result, ESPN gains access to more live games and exclusive league content.
Hollywood Inc.
For years, ESPN has been recognized as a global sports powerhouse; however, it’s currently facing challenges such as cord-cutting, increasing rights costs, and financial doubt from the investment community.
In contrast to WWE’s shows having pre-planned results for an entertaining experience, Jimmy Pitaro, ESPN’s chairman, stated that live events would widen the viewership for their newly launched streaming platform.
In simpler terms, Pitaro stated that the WWE fanbase tends to be younger compared to other sports, and it’s also more diverse. Interestingly, females make up approximately 38% of this audience, which is greater than the average proportion of women at the network level.
Pitaro pointed out that scheduling significant WWE events across all seasons would keep subscribers on the streaming service, as they might otherwise cancel during off-seasons of their preferred sports.
Previously, ESPN broadcasted wrestling events. These included matches from the American Wrestling Association (AWA), a company based in Minneapolis, which they aired from 1985 to 1990.
Previously, ESPN had established a robust commercial alliance with TKO Group Holdings, the parent company of WWE, since they broadcast the organization’s UFC fights.
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2025-08-06 18:31