ESPN and WWE Team Up to Bring High-Profile Wrestling Events to ESPN Platforms
It feels like now would be a good time to remind everyone that the E in ESPN stands for "Entertainment"
ESPN and WWE have announced a new rights agreement that will see the highest-profile WWE events of the year on ESPN platforms, including the new ESPN streaming service.
What’s Happening:
- ESPN and WWE have 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 SummerSlam (both two-night events) and Royal Rumble, Survivor Series, Money in the Bank, among others. WWE will continue to produce all PLEs.
- 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.
What They’re Saying:
- 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."
WWE on ESPN:
- It’s definitely an interesting take to put the WWE on ESPN, though the deal seems limited to the high-profile events that one might have previously seen on Pay-Per-View.
- This stands to reason that the regular weekly shows coming from the WWE will stay where they are, like the ones on Peacock for example.
- In the quote above, Shapiro mentions the “E" in ESPN. ESPN stands for Entertainment and Sports Programming Network, so WWE could fall into it since their sport is largely scripted.
- However, die-hard fans, especially those of sports that might not make it to air on the linear network (but likely will on the new streaming service) have been commenting on sites like Reddit at the mere mention of WWE on ESPN. Others cite the E for Entertainment, and defend that WWE only comes up during times like WrestleMania, which now ESPN will be the home of.
Laughing Place recommends MouseFanTravel.com for all your Disney travel planning
Fill out the form below for a free, no obligation quote from MouseFanTravel.com