It's Official: WWE Is A Mickey Mouse Operation (WWE News)
WWE is exploring special crossover events with Disney for 2027. Oh boy!
That headline is tongue in cheek, don't worry!
WrestleZone (via Yahoo! Sports) has shared details from a conference appearance TKO President and COO Mark Shapiro made recently. It'll make for very interesting reading if you're both a WWE fan and a Disney enthusiast, because it looks like both powerhouses fancy doing more business together heading into the new year.
Shapiro confirmed that WWE and Disney are locked in talks over proposed "special events" that'd bring both titans under one umbrella. Why? Well, the TKO President noted that WWE and Disney focus on "going after families" as a general demographic. That's something they have in common, so it'd make sense to work together on bespoke projects.
There's no word on exactly what that'd look like, or if Mark is talking about in-person wrestling events laced with Disney lore, animation or even other products for Disney+. It's all a little mysterious right now, but "special events" suggests that WWE would want to promote something live.
Of course, Disney owns ESPN, and WWE is in the second year of a 5 year deal to show PLEs exclusively on ESPN Unlimited in the United States. Shapiro is keen to grow the numbers for those year on year, and he believes that working closely with Disney could help with that.
Clearly, Disney would like to see WWE become a rip-roaring success on ESPN Unlimited. For reference, Netflix carries PLE coverage in many other international areas.
So, roll on Mickey Mouse tangling with Roman Reigns then? Not quite, but anything is possible.