ESPN and WWE are about to keep each other in stricter.
As part of a new five-year contract, ESPNS will soon become a streaming outlet, from 2026, the exclusive US home of all best live events in the WWE, including “Wrestlemania”, “Summerslam”, “Royal Rumble” and “Survivor Series”. WWE will continue to produce all events that have been shown in recent years via NBCuniversals Pfau. ESPN also has the option of being bound before and after the events – a total of 10. The events can also be Simulcast at certain linear ESPN establishments.
WWE events are “an extremely popular form of entertainment and have passed the test of the time,” says Jimmy Pitaro, chairman of ESPN, recently in an interview. ESPN always wants to expand his audience, he says: “And WWE will help us get younger. It will help us to become more diverse. It will help us bring in more women.” Pitaro says he expects both Disney and ESPN to create other types of programs associated with WWE that could include alliances with NBA stars. Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, a partner at ESPN in the UFL; Or Pat McAfee, the host in the afternoon that has connections to WWE.
The new ESPN streamer should debut in the weeks before the next NFL season. ESPN was based on a similar sports concept, UFC, to win new consumers in the ESPN+ BREIT -OUTLE. Now it will type WWE, which is like UFC part of TKO Sports.
The UFC alliance with ESPN led to the mixed martial arts League “find a new and expanded audience,” says Mark Shapiro, President and Chief Operating Officer from TKO. In an early stage with the new ESPN service, “really an opportunity we didn't want to miss.” WWE and ESPN have also tested alliances in the past. While the Coronavirus pandemic, as live events were sunk due to concerns regarding the contagion, WWE ESPN granted the right, classic “wrestlemania” lowering to show their program plan.
Long-term relationships have contributed to sporting this new WWE pact, says Nick Khan, President of WWE. “The conversations were quick. They were robust in spirit,” he says. “We believe that our entire audience will travel and grow significantly.”
The new right -wing pact will expand the WWE portfolio. The company will remain in business with NBCU and its versed spin off, which shows “Saturday evening Main Event” or “Friday Night Smackdown”. Netflix can stream “Monday Night Raw” and “Smackdown” and the Premium Live event outside of the USA worldwide
The chance of coordinating WWE's signature events in Netflix and ESPN was attractive, says Shapiro. “These are two of the most predominant brands in all sports and entertainment, two supernovas if they like,” he says.
The managers refused to discuss the financial conditions of the New Deal.
And the alliance could serve to strengthen ESPN because it is exposed to the end of its current rights contract with UFC. This pact ends in 2025. “We are proud of how we helped with the growth of the UFC, and we are always proud to work with TKO in a way. That is why I expect ongoing discussions with Mark and Team, about meaningful opportunities for how we can work together,” says Pitaro. Whether these business relationships can be seen with events, highlights or other content, but Shapiro says that a partnership between UFC and ESPN has “a priority for us”, with a “track balance that was simply too strong”.