A new report from The Hollywood Reporter has revealed that new weekly programming from WWE’s main roster will be coming to the Peacock streaming service. The new content is part of a reworked agreement between WWE and NBCUniversal that allowed WWE to move its Premium Live Events (PLEs) to ESPN platforms earlier than originally scheduled.
How WWE’s PLEs Left Peacock Early
The report clarifies how the deal for the early exit was structured. It notes that “ESPN did not buy out Peacock’s remaining rights.” Instead, the arrangement was “brokered between WWE and Peacock” directly. The report adds that WWE was able to fulfill its contractual quota of PLEs for Peacock ahead of schedule, in part by splitting its largest events, WrestleMania and SummerSlam, into two-night shows and by adding other events like the all-women’s Evolution.
The upcoming Clash in Paris event on August 31 will be the final WWE PLE to stream live on Peacock in the United States.
New Content Deal
As part of this new arrangement, Peacock will become the home for new WWE content. According to the report, “WWE and Peacock have worked out a deal to include new main-roster WWE programming to stream on the NBCUniversal digital platform.” It was also noted that “details of that programming are expected to be announced soon.”
The move marks a significant shift in WWE’s content distribution. While the company’s monthly PLEs will now be on ESPN’s new direct-to-consumer service starting with Wrestlepalooza on September 20, Peacock will retain a partnership with WWE by hosting a new, yet-to-be-detailed weekly show.
