It has been announced today that WWE premium live events (PLEs) will begin streaming domestically on ESPN starting in 2026, ending a five-year partnership with NBC Universal’s Peacock service. The new deal, first reported by The Wall Street Journal, is valued at approximately $1.6 billion over five years, or \$325 million annually.

While the official start date has not been confirmed, the transition is widely expected to begin with WrestleMania in April 2026, which will emanate from Las Vegas.

The move marks a major moment for ESPN, as it prepares to launch its highly anticipated streaming service on August 21st, 2026, with a subscription cost of $29.99 per month. This is a significant increase for WWE fans compared to Peacock, which bundled PLEs into a far lower-priced subscription. WWE PLEs will be a key pillar of ESPN’s push into direct-to-consumer streaming, alongside other major sports properties.

According to the announcement, “select events” will also air on ESPN’s linear television networks, bringing WWE back to traditional sports programming for marquee shows like SummerSlam or the Royal Rumble. Additionally, ESPN may stream pre- and post-show coverage for PLEs, though full details on programming were not disclosed.

Importantly, WWE will retain full production control of its events, ensuring continuity in how its product is presented despite the shift in distribution.

One glaring omission in the deal is the lack of on-demand archive content, which had been a hallmark of WWE’s offering on Peacock. Media analyst Brandon Ross of Lightshed Partners suggested that Netflix could potentially step in and acquire those rights, giving the streaming giant a way into WWE’s massive video library.

Another notable detail is that NXT premium live events are not included in the ESPN deal, leaving an opportunity for TKO Group Holdings to negotiate a separate agreement for that brand.

The WWE-ESPN agreement is just one piece of a broader strategy as ESPN positions its new streaming platform as a must-have destination for sports fans. ESPN is also in the midst of negotiating a renewal with UFC, WWE’s sister brand under the TKO umbrella. UFC’s current agreement with ESPN runs through the end of 2026, and its renewal will likely be pivotal in shaping ESPN’s long-term content slate.

In a further indication of ESPN’s aggressive content expansion, the network also struck a new deal with the NFL to bring NFL RedZone and additional programming to the streaming service.

This deal formally ends WWE’s five-year run with NBC Universal’s Peacock platform, which began in March 2021. That agreement, which included both live PLEs and full access to WWE’s archive content for domestic users, was reportedly worth $900 million, according to WSJ sources.

While WWE’s flagship shows SmackDown and Raw remain tied to their respective broadcast deals—SmackDown currently airs on USA Network—the migration of PLEs to ESPN signals a major shift in the way WWE fans will consume the company’s biggest events moving forward.

As 2026 approaches, fans will need to adjust both their wallets and their viewing habits as WWE steps into the next chapter of its media evolution—this time, under the Disney-owned ESPN umbrella.