Just days after announcing a landmark rights agreement for WWE’s premium live events, ESPN Chairman Jimmy Pitaro has confirmed that the sports media giant would also be interested in acquiring the rights to WWE’s vast historical content library.
ESPN Interested In WWE Library Rights
Appearing on The Ringer’s Press Box podcast, Pitaro was asked if ESPN would be interested in bidding on the WWE library when the rights become available. He confirmed the company’s interest in the content.
“Yeah, we’re always interested in content of that quality,” Pitaro responded. “I will tell you that we will have the archival rights for the events that we are airing, but yes, in terms of their library, we certainly would be interested if and when those rights are available.”
The WWE Premium Live Event Deal
The conversation comes after the announcement last week that all of WWE’s main roster premium live events, including WrestleMania and SummerSlam, will move from Peacock to ESPN’s new direct-to-consumer streaming service beginning in 2026. Pitaro explained that the deal is a strategic one for ESPN, as the events can help “plug in some holes” in the sports calendar and minimize subscription churn.
“One of the things that we are focused on from a direct-to-consumer perspective is churn and minimizing churn,” Pitaro said. He also noted that he expects WWE to be flexible with scheduling to help fill any gaps ESPN may have in its programming.
Pitaro called the addition of events like WrestleMania “incredibly exciting,” stating that entertainment has always been part of the ESPN brand.
The future U.S. home of the WWE library remains the final major piece of the company’s media rights puzzle. The content includes thousands of hours of historical footage, which is currently streamed on Peacock, but that deal expires in March 2026. The full interview with Jimmy Pitaro can be heard on The Ringer’s Press Box podcast.
If you use any portion of the quotes from this article, please credit The Ringer’s Press Box podcast with an h/t to WrestlingNews.co for the transcription.
