ESPN will become the home of WWE's Premium Live Events, including WrestleMania, beginning in 2026. Credit: ESPN
By Ben Axelrod on

In recent years, it’s been impossible not to notice WWE talent having an increased presence on ESPN airwaves.

Now, that partnership is being formalized, with the two companies announcing on Wednesday that ESPN will become the exclusive U.S. home of all WWE Premium Live Events (previously known as pay-per-views) beginning in 2026. That will include WWE’s biggest show of the year, WrestleMania, as well as signature events such as the Royal Rumble, Money In The Bank, SummerSlam and Survivor Series.

As a part of the deal, WWE’s PLEs will air live on the ESPN direct-to-consumer streaming service, with select events also simulcasting on linear ESPN platforms. ESPN announced on Wednesday that its direct-to-consumer service will officially launch on Aug. 21.

According to Puck’s John Ourand, ESPN will pay WWE $325 million annually over the course of the five-year deal.

“WWE has an immense, devoted and passionate fanbase that we’re excited to super-serve on our new ESPN DTC platform,” ESPN chairman Jimmy Pitaro said in a statement. “This agreement, which features the most-significant WWE events of the year, bolsters our unprecedented content portfolio and helps drive our streaming future.”

Added WWE president Nick Khan: “WWE’s agreement with ESPN is a pivotal moment for our millions of fans across the United States: the leader in sports entertainment partnering with the biggest brand in sports media. Bringing WWE’s flagship events to ESPN’s platform is tremendously exciting. We know the sky is the limit.”

To Khan’s point, news of the ESPN deal marks a major moment for WWE’s mainstream appeal as the pro wrestling giant’s sizable rights fee will only be amplified by the newfound exposure and promotion it will assuredly receive on ESPN airwaves. WWE anow adds ESPN to wide-ranging list of media rights partners, which also includes Netflix (WWE Raw in the U.S. and all content globally), Comcast (WWE SmackDown on the USA Network) and Nexstar Media Group (WWE NXT on The CW).

While WWE PLEs had initially been exclusive to pay-per-view, they had been available on the WWE Network upon its launch in 2014 before Peacock secured their rights in 2021. WWE’s current deal with Peacock runs through March 2026, meaning that it’s likely that WWE’s first PLE on ESPN will be WrestleMania 42, which is scheduled to take place April 18-19, 2026.

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.

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