Report: WWE Deal With ESPN Worth $325 Million Per Year Over Five Years
On Wednesday, WWE and ESPN announced a new deal that will bring WWE Premium Live Events to the platform in 2026.
According to CNBC, ESPN will pay WWE an average of $325 million per year for five years.
The deal includes 10 WWE PLEs a year including WrestleMania, Royal Rumble, SummerSlam, and more. The deal begins in 2026.
PLEs will stream on ESPN’s new $29.99 per month direct-to-consumer platform in the United States, and select events will be simulcast on ESPN’s linear networks.
“In many ways, this is our destiny,” said TKO President Mark Shapiro. “If you want to expand the audience, our fan base, the fervor around WWE, and grow on a real significant national scale, you can’t do that as it relates to the sports world without partnering with ESPN.”
“Our place was built as the entertainment and sports programing network,” said ESPN Chairman Jimmy Pitaro, referencing the literal meaning of the acronym, “ESPN.” “This is a fantastic way for us to expand our audience. It’s younger, it’s more diverse, and it’s more female than what we see at the network level.”
Fightful will provide more details on the deal when they are known.
Fans can view the original press release on the deal here.
