In a rights agreement announced Wednesday between World Wrestling Entertainment and ESPN, the network will become the home for all WWE Premium Live Events, including WrestleMania, starting in 2026.
ESPN’s direct-to-consumer streaming service, which starts Aug. 21, will also carry WWE events. ESPN will keep its name for the streaming platform, which will begin with a price of $29.99 per month.
According to CNBC, the megadeal is for five years, at an average of $325 million per year, and will include all 10 of WWE’s premium live events, including Royal Rumble, SummerSlam, Survivor Series and Money in the Bank.
“WWE has an immense, devoted and passionate fan base that we’re excited to super-serve on our new ESPN DTC platform,” ESPN chairman Jimmy Pitaro said. “This agreement, which features the most significant WWE events of the year, bolsters our unprecedented content portfolio and helps drive our streaming future.”
WWE’s pre-and post-event shows for all premium live events will likely stream on the platform as well.
“We are proud to reinforce the ‘E’ in ESPN at such an exciting juncture in its direct-to-consumer journey,” Mark Shapiro, president and chief operating officer of TKO, 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.”
The previous premium events package has been on Peacock, NBCUniversal’s streaming platform. WWE SmackDown will continue airing on Peacock and USA Network.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: ESPN, WWE deal puts WrestleMania other premium live events on network
