More details have emerged regarding the landmark rights agreement between WWE and ESPN that will bring all WWE Premium Live Events to ESPN’s new streaming platform starting in 2026. A new report breaks down the financial terms, the launch of the new service, and the potential future of WWE’s historical archives.
Details Of The WWE And ESPN Deal
First reported by CNBC and further detailed by Fightful Select, the five-year deal is reportedly for an average of $325 million per year. It will kick off ahead of WrestleMania in 2026 and run through the lead-up to WrestleMania in 2031. All WWE Premium Live Events will stream on a new ESPN direct-to-consumer (DTC) service, which will cost $29.99 per month. An ESPN representative confirmed that subscribers who already have ESPN through a traditional cable or satellite provider will be granted access to the new DTC service at no extra charge by authenticating their account in the ESPN app.
The Future Of The WWE Archives
While the deal covers live premium live events, the future U.S. home for WWE’s vast historical library remains unconfirmed. According to the report, it is believed that WWE may have an advanced deal with Google to utilize their YouTube platform more broadly for this archival content. The new ESPN DTC service will be a major offering for sports fans, as it will also include the full integration of the NFL Network and NFL RedZone.
The new deal solidifies the U.S. broadcast homes for the majority of WWE’s content for the foreseeable future. Beginning in 2026, Monday Night Raw will remain on Netflix, Friday Night SmackDown will remain on the USA Network, and all Premium Live Events will move to ESPN’s new streaming service. The future home for the historical WWE library, currently on Peacock, is now the final major piece of the media rights puzzle to be determined.
This is just a snippet of the story. For complete details, please visit Fightful Select at Patreon.com/Fightful.
