As it turns out, the partnership between ESPN and WWE might just be getting started.
Last week, the Worldwide Leader in Sports reached an agreement to become the home of the pro wrestling giant’s Premium Live Events beginning in the spring of 2026. But while the deal left WWE without a home for its archives, which currently exist on Peacock, it appears that ESPN is interested in acquiring that library in a separate deal.
“We’re always interested in the content of that quality,” ESPN president Jimmy Pitaro told The Ringer’s Bryan Curtis during an interview on The Press Box earlier this week. “I will tell you that we have the archival rights for the [Premium Live Events] that we are airing. But yes, in terms of their library, we certainly would be interested if and when those rights are available.”
That time would presumably be right now, as the WWE library was a part of the package that Peacock has possessed since 2021. With that deal set to expire next spring, WWE has already secured a deal for ESPN to air its PLEs on its upcoming direct-to-consumer streaming service, leaving the TKO subsidiary still searching for a home for its archives and NXT PLEs.
Ultimately, WWE could either package those rights together or sell them separately. Either way, ESPN would certainly make a lot of sense for the library as the Disney-owned cable channel continues to increase its offerings ahead of next week’s DTC launch.
While most of ESPN’s current content is geared toward live programming, the addition of WWE’s archives could add an increased incentive for diehard pro wrestling fans to subscribe to the new streaming service. For WWE, it would create natural symmetry, as ESPN will already be the U.S. home of the Premium Live Events — live and archived — that will air over the course of their five-year deal.
Then again, if TKO’s recent strategy has been any indication, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see the combat sports conglomerate bring a new — or old — partner into the fold. Whether it’s ESPN, Netflix, Peacock or elsewhere, WWE is clearly in a position to further strengthen its media rights portfolio.
About Ben Axelrod
Ben Axelrod is a veteran of the sports media landscape, having most recently worked for NBC's Cleveland affiliate, WKYC. Prior to his time in Cleveland, he covered Ohio State football and the Big Ten for outlets including Cox Media Group, Bleacher Report, Scout and Rivals.