ESPN and WWE image announcing new PLE deal
Rants

WWE Premium Live Events Moving To ESPN In 2026

By Craig Ballantyne on 6 August 2025

WWE has struck a deal with ESPN that will almost double the value of its Premium Live Events in the US.

On August 6th, WWE and ESPN issued a press release announcing that the sports entertainment giant will move all of its PLEs from their current home in the US on Peacock to ESPN platforms starting in 2026.

The five-year deal will see all of the events air on ESPN’s new Direct-to-Consumer streaming service, which costs $29.99-per-month, with “select simulcasting on ESPN linear platforms.” According to CNBC, the deal is worth an average of $325 million annually, a significant increase from the company’s current agreement with NBCUniversal’s Peacock, which nets only $180 million per year.

In a social media post, WWE Chief Content Officer Triple H hailed the “monumental” deal.

“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 2026!!!”

Triple H Calls WWE & ESPN Partnership A “Perfect Marriage”

Promoting the deal on ESPN’s “Get Up,” Triple H said he was thrilled to be “in the Disney family.”

“It’s incredible. For what we consider the worldwide leader in sports entertainment, to be with the worldwide leader of sports and entertainment, ESPN, there’s nothing bigger. There’s no bigger opportunity for us than this right now. And on top of that, to be in the Disney family, so to speak. We’re thrilled.”

The Game believes the partnership will help make tentpole events like WrestleMania, SummerSlam, and the Royal Rumble bigger than ever.

“From my point of view, nobody does large scale, massive events like ESPN. It’s what you do, and it’s what we like to think we do better than anybody else on the planet.

“So this is the perfect marriage. When we get together, things like Wrestlemania, SummerSlam, Royal Rumble are going to be bigger than ever. They’re going to be more of a spectacle than they’ve ever been before.”

Do you think this deal is perfect for WWE? Will you subscribe to ESPN’s new streaming service to watch the PLEs? Let us know what you think below!

H/T to WrestlingNews.co for the above transcription.