In a significant shift for professional wrestling’s broadcast landscape, ESPN is set to become the exclusive U.S. home for all WWE Premium Live Events (PLEs), including the highly anticipated WrestleMania, beginning in 2026. This new five-year agreement, reportedly valued at an average of $325 million per year, marks a substantial increase from WWE’s previous deal with Peacock.
The transition will see major WWE events like WrestleMania, SummerSlam, and the Royal Rumble move to ESPN’s soon-to-launch direct-to-consumer (DTC) streaming service. While the current contract with Peacock concludes in March 2026, WrestleMania 42, scheduled for April 18-19, 2026, is anticipated to be the first major event to stream under the new ESPN banner. Select PLEs may also be simulcast on ESPN’s traditional linear television channels, offering broader accessibility to fans.
ESPN’s new DTC platform, also named ESPN, is slated to launch on August 21, 2025, with pricing expected to be $29.99 per month or $300 annually. This move integrates WWE’s flagship programming into ESPN’s extensive sports media empire, which also includes rights for WWE Raw on Netflix and WWE SmackDown on the USA Network. The partnership aims to leverage WWE’s passionate fanbase and enhance ESPN’s streaming future, with potential for expanded WWE-related content and collaborations.
