WWE SELLS PLE RIGHTS TO ESPN
WWE has signed a major new agreement with ESPN to broadcast its Premium Live Events (PLEs) in the United States. Starting in 2026, events such as WrestleMania, Royal Rumble, SummerSlam, Survivor Series, and Money in the Bank will no longer be broadcast on the Peacock platform and will instead be broadcast exclusively on ESPN's new direct-to-consumer (DTC) streaming service.
The five-year agreement between WWE and ESPN is valued at an impressive $1.625 billion, which represents approximately $325 million per year. This new agreement significantly exceeds WWE's previous contract with Peacock, which was worth approximately $900 million for the same period.
ESPN's new service is scheduled to launch on August 21, 2025, and will have a monthly subscription price of $29.99. In addition to the full broadcast of Premium Live Events, some of these events will also be shown on ESPN's traditional channels, further expanding the WWE brand's exposure within the sports universe.
Despite the change in the United States, nothing changes for international audiences. Outside the United States, WWE's PLEs will continue to be broadcast on Netflix, as per the previously established agreement. This decision reinforces the company's strategy of expanding its global presence through established digital platforms.
The new agreement with ESPN is part of a broader move by WWE, which recently also signed a billion-dollar deal with Netflix to broadcast the Raw program starting in January 2025. This agreement with Netflix is for ten years and is valued at approximately $5 billion. SmackDown will continue to air in the United States on USA Network and Peacock until 2029.
With this new step, WWE further strengthens its position in the sports media landscape, expanding its presence on major platforms and ensuring greater visibility for its main events. ESPN, meanwhile, is strengthening its sports catalog by incorporating wrestling into its exclusive content portfolio, in a clear attempt to attract new subscribers to its streaming service.
