WWE Premium Live Events To Air On ESPN Platforms In The US Starting In 2026

WWE Premium Live Events will have a new home in the US.

At present, WWE’s streaming rights are varied, as each of their weekly shows air on a different platform/channel. With Monday Night RAW on Netflix, NXT on The CW and WWE SmackDown on the USA Network domestically. Until now, WWE PLE’s have been airing on Peacock in the States, but now they will be heading to a new platform.

In a new press release from the two companies, they would confirmed that ESPN will air the shows domestically beginning in January.

BRISTOL, Conn. and STAMFORD, Conn. (August 6, 2025)—ESPN, a subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company (NYSE: DIS), and WWE, part of TKO Group Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: TKO), today announced a landmark rights agreement as ESPN platforms, including the new ESPN direct-to-consumer streaming service, will become the exclusive U.S. domestic home of all WWE Premium Live Events (PLEs), including the two-night cultural phenomenon WrestleMania, starting in 2026. This deal makes ESPN home to the highest-profile WWE events of the year.

The ESPN DTC service will stream all WWE PLEs annually, in their entirety, with select simulcasting on ESPN linear platforms. Marquee PLEs include WrestleMania and SummerSlam –both two-night events – and Royal Rumble, Survivor Series, Money in the Bank, among others. WWE will continue to produce all PLEs.

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

Mark Shapiro, President and Chief Operating Officer, TKO: “We are proud to reinforce the ‘E’ in ESPN at such an exciting juncture in its direct-to-consumer journey. WWE Premium Live Events are renowned for exactly the type of rich storytelling, incredible feats of athleticism and can’t-miss, cultural tentpole experiences that have become synonymous with ESPN. Through our UFC relationship, we have experienced firsthand how transformational an ESPN presence can be, and we know this will be an exceptional partnership at a time of great innovation for both companies.”

Nick Khan, President, WWE: “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.”

ESPN platforms, including its DTC service, will have the opportunity to stream WWE’s pre-and post-event shows tied to all Premium Live Events.

All of ESPN. All in One Place. Coming Soon.

For the first time ever, ESPN will offer its full suite of networks and services directly to fans, along with an enhanced ESPN App that integrates game stats, betting information, fantasy sports, commerce, multiview options and a personalized SportsCenter For You. Designed to give fans more choice, flexibility and access to all of ESPN, these new features and functionality will be available to all fans who watch on the ESPN App on mobile and connected TV devices, whether they subscribe directly or through a traditional pay TV package. For more visit the ESPN DTC Press Kit.

About WWE

WWE® is the global leader in sports entertainment. The company creates and delivers original content 52 weeks a year to a global audience. WWE is committed to family-friendly entertainment on its television programming, premium live events, digital media, and publishing platforms. WWE’s TV-PG programming can be seen in more than 1 billion households worldwide in more than 20 languages through world-class distribution partners including NBCUniversal, The CW and Netflix. In the United States, NBCUniversal’s streaming service, Peacock, is currently the exclusive home to all premium live events, a variety of original programming and a massive video-on-demand library. Netflix is the exclusive home for WWE programming around the world, other than select international markets. WWE is part of TKO Group Holdings (NYSE: TKO).

Triple H also commented on the news breaking on social media, calling it a monumental partnership between WWE and ESPN.

Bringing @espn and @WWE together is monumental. Two leaders in sports and entertainment delivering for our fans in the U.S.

This partnership presents a massive opportunity for the brand, our Superstars, and the industry as a whole. Excited for what’s to come…Get Ready for… https://t.co/C0LvHj3F3o

— Triple H (@TripleH) August 6, 2025

John Cena also commented on the new partnership, stating that ‘proud’ would be an understatement about how he feels on the deal.

Proud would be an understatement. This landmark partnership represents an exciting future for #WWE as a flagship member of the ESPN family. Cannot wait to see what the world of sports entertainment looks like on @ESPN.

Excited for 2026!! https://t.co/9c7MsBLklP

— John Cena (@JohnCena) August 6, 2025

ESPN’s new streaming service is set to launch on August 21st.

Netflix currently airs all of WWE’s weekly shows and PLE’s in Europe.

In other news about ESPN, it was recently revealed that The Undertaker turned down the chance to be in ESPN’s The Body Issue. You can read more about that here.