WWE PLEs Heading To ESPN Streaming Platform, $29.99/Month From 2026 (WWE News)
WWE lands huge ESPN deal for all PLEs, starting 2026.
In another mammoth deal for WWE, 2026 will see the promotion's Premium Live Events air exclusively on ESPN in the United States.
The Walt Disney Company - the parent company of ESPN - put out a press release today, confirming that WWE PLEs will move to ESPN's new direct-to-consumer streaming service from next year, with a TKO statement noting that select WWE events will also simulcast on ESPN's linear platform.
CNBC reports that this deal will see WWE receive approximately $325 million per year as part of a five-year agreement, which totals in the region of $1.625 billion across that period. For those wondering, WWE's previous deal with NBC Universal's Peacock was worth $180 million per year to the wrestling world's market leader.
As for when this changeover may take place for WWE PLEs, Wrestlenomics' Brandon Thurston - who always does such fantastic reporting on such matters - is under the belief that Peacock's PLE rights expire in March 2026.
Breaking News: WWE Premium Live Events are headed to @espn platforms in the U.S. starting in 2026 pic.twitter.com/uD4KOiQYBg
Advertisement— WWE (@WWE) August 6, 2025
ESPN's new DTC streaming service launches on Thursday, 21 August at $29.99 per month, and includes the NFL, NHL, NBA, WNBA, international soccer, college football, various other sports, and plentiful analysis shows such as SportsCenter, First Taken, and The Pat McAfee Show. As well as WWE being listed as "just around the corner" for the service, so, too, are UFC events.
This is obviously a major success for WWE, with it long known that the deal with Peacock for WWE PLEs - which began in 2021 - was up at as 2025 rolled into 2026. From 2026, those PLEs will now call ESPN their home in the United States.
For those wondering, Peacock will still be streaming SmackDown for the foreseeable future. While WWE's blue brand airs on the USA Network, it will also continue to stream on Peacock in the US as part of a separate deal that's due to expire in 2029.
Of course, this year saw WWE Raw start streaming on Netflix in the US as part of a staggering ten-year deal that sees WWE pocket a cool $5 billion. As part of that deal, various international markets - such as the UK - also have Netflix as the home for WWE PLEs, SmackDown, NXT, and various other WWE content.
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ESPN's Press Release On WWE PLEs
ESPN’s Direct-to-Consumer Service to Stream All WWE Premium Live Events in their Entirety, Including WrestleMania, Royal Rumble, SummerSlam, Survivor Series, Money in the Bank and More
ESPN, a subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company, and WWE, part of TKO Group Holdings, Inc., today 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.
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.”
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.
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