WWE has transformed to an even bigger juggernaut than ever imagined in the Endeavor era. Triple H and Nick Khan are widely credited for upgrading the overall product, and the working environment, and now they are set to unleash a transformative overhaul that no one saw coming.
WWE and ESPN are linking up once again, and this time their unprecedented deal is a massive game-changer. The world’s largest sports network is launching a new direct-to-consumer streaming platform on August 21, priced at $29.99 per month or $300 per year. While WWE fans will be forced to pay more than they are for Peacock, the service will be available at no charge to those who already have ESPN access through traditional cable and satellite packages.
World Wrestling Entertainment is reportedly receiving $1.6 billion for the five-year deal, or $325 million per year. The new WWE-ESPN deal marks the end of the five-year contract between WWE and NBCUniversal, which included archived content and Premium Live Events for North American viewers. It’s being reported that the WWE-NBCU deal for Peacock was valued at $900 million, and that the contract for SmackDown on the USA Network, and Saturday Night’s Main Event on NBC/Peacock, is still active.
WWE will join the new platform beginning in 2026, and while no start date for the significant change to Premium Live Events has been announced, it was confirmed that WrestleMania 42 will air on the platform. The company is set to air all PLEs on the new ESPN platform, with “select events” also airing via simulcast on ESPN’s linear networks. It’s interesting to note that NXT Premium Live Events are not a part of the deal.
Triple H Promises Major WWE PLE Changes
There’s significant excitement within WWE over the new deal with ESPN, according to the Chief Content Officer. Triple H appeared on ESPN Get Up this morning with Peter Schrager, and was asked what it means for WWE to partner with ESPN for such a venture.
“It’s incredible, for what we consider the worldwide leader in sports entertainment to be with the worldwide leader of sports, and entertainment, ESPN, there’s nothing bigger, there’s no bigger opportunity for us than this right now, and on top of that, to be in the Disney family, so to speak… we’re thrilled, and can’t wait to get rolling,” Triple H said.
The Game and Nick Khan continue to change the pro wrestling landscape. Triple H was asked how he and the WWE President came together to decide that ESPN is the perfect place for Premium Live Events.
“I think we’ve been, Nick and I, have been thinking about it for a long time, of, it is the right home for it. It’s something that we’ve been trying to work through for a long time. You know, [ESPN Chairman] Jimmy Pitaro making it happen, it’s thrilling for us. Can’t be more excited,” Triple H said.
The new deal between WWE and ESPN represent the perfect marriage in the world of sports and entertainment, noted Triple H. The two-time Hall of Famer was asked what new things can fans expect to see from WWE and ESPN in the new partnership. He promised more spectacles, with bigger versions of WrestleMania, SummerSlam, and Royal Rumble.
“From my point of view, nobody does large-scale massive events like ESPN… Super Bowl, all of it, right? It’s what you do, and it’s what we like to think we do better than anybody else on the planet. So, this is the perfect marriage… when we get together, things like WrestleMania, SummerSlam, Royal Rumble, are going to be bigger than ever. They’re going to be more of a spectacle than they’ve ever been before. We’re going to light the world on fire,” Triple H said.
WWE and ESPN have worked together on various ventures over the years. After the Stamford-based promotion inked the Peacock deal in 2021, ESPN was reportedly not thrilled, and made the decision then to stop airing WWE content.