On Wednesday, WWE announced a major deal, which will see ESPN become the home of its Premium Live Events in 2026.
But even as the new ESPN pact adds to a WWE portfolio that also includes media rights agreements with Netflix, Comcast and Nexstar Media Group, it doesn’t appear that the pro wrestling giant is done negotiating just yet.
While ESPN will take over from Peacock as the U.S. domestic home of WWE’s PLEs, the agreement specifically calls for the Worldwide Leader in Sports to host 10 events over the course of 12 dates, as both WrestleMania and SummerSlam are now two-night affairs. That leaves a large portion of Peacock’s current rights unaccounted for, with the NBC streamer’s WWE licensing agreement set to expire in March 2026.
As it turns out, that’s not a coincidence, as it appears that WWE will look to sell those rights — including its vast network library and WWE NXT Premium Live Events — in a deal separate from the new ESPN one. According to the Getting Over Cast: Wrestling Podcast, that’s exactly the plan, with co-host Adam Silverstein stating on an episode of the podcast that Netflix and Peacock are considered co-frontrunners.
WWE domestic archival library will go out for bid with Netflix considered the leader over Peacock, per separate source from below information.
NXT PLEs and additional #WWE-produced content may be packaged alongside the archive or available separately. https://t.co/kb6Iv4cScv
— Getting Over: Wrestling Podcast (@GettingOverCast) August 6, 2025
While the WWE PLEs that do air on ESPN will reportedly be archived on the network’s DTC offering throughout the entirety of their five-year deal, the remainder of the company’s archives could prove to be an attractive asset for a streaming service looking to attract hardcore fans. That archive includes (but isn’t limited to) every WWE pay-per-view/PLE in the company’s history until the start of the ESPN deal, as well as additional programming that has previously existed on the WWE Network and now Peacock.
While the NXT PLE rights won’t fetch the same $325 million annual rights fee that WWE garnered from ESPN, they could still prove valuable to a media outlet looking to bolster its live offerings. Netflix certainly stands out as an obvious suitor for both, so it makes sense that it is already considered the likely favorite. But if the ESPN deal is any indication, don’t be surprised if another candidate emerges from out of left field.
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.