WWE Premium Live Events, including WrestleMania, SummerSlam, and other PLEs, will have a new home in 2026.
ESPN+ will begin airing WWE PLEs in 2026.
The deal is for five years. CNBC offered some details.
- ESPN’s new direct-to-consumer service will include all of WWE’s live premium events beginning in 2026; ESPN will also simulcast select events on its linear networks
- ESPN is paying TKO’s WWE an average of $325 million per year for five years
- The WWE’s premium events package has been on NBCUniversal’s Peacock. WWE SmackDown will remain on Peacock and USA Network
WWE Premium Live Events Will Air On ESPN+ In The United States In 2026
WWE’s premium live events will stream on ESPN’s new $29.99 per month direct-to-consumer platform in the United States. Select events will be simulcast on ESPN’s linear networks.
President and Chief Operating Officer Mark Shapiro of TKO stated, “In many ways, this is our destiny.” He continued, “If you want to expand the audience, our fan base, the fervor around WWE, and grow on a real significant national scale, you can’t do that as it relates to the sports world without partnering with ESPN.”
“Our place was built as the entertainment and sports programming network,” said ESPN Chairman Jimmy Pitaro. He continued, “This is a fantastic way for us to expand our audience. It’s younger, it’s more diverse, and it’s more female than what we see at the network level.”
WWE President Nick Khan said, “38% of WWE’s audience is women. About 50% of people who attend WWE live events come with children.” He continued, “It’s multigenerational viewing, and we think ESPN is multigenerational viewing.”
WWE Raw Will Remain On Netflix & SmackDown Will Remain On Peacock
WWE Raw will remain on Netflix. In 2024, WWE signed a blockbuster 10-year $5 billion deal with Netflix to stream Raw every Monday Night. Netflix will continue to stream Raw in the United States.
WWE SmackDown, which airs in the United States on USA Network, will continue to stream on Peacock. That deal expires in 2029.
Nothing Changes For People Outside The United States
For people around the world, outside of the United States, this deal does not change anything. This new deal only impacts people living in the United States.
WWE Raw, SmackDown, and PLEs will all continue to be on Netflix worldwide outside of the United States.
