In a seismic move that reshapes the media landscape for professional wrestling, WWE President Nick Khan has officially addressed the company’s blockbuster new media rights agreement with ESPN and Disney.
The deal will see WWE’s Premium Live Events, including WrestleMania, Royal Rumble, and SummerSlam, move from Peacock to ESPN’s new flagship streaming service in the United States beginning January 2026.
The reported $325 million per year, five-year deal was first confirmed by CNBC.
Appearing on The Varsity Podcast, Khan opened the discussion by expressing gratitude for Peacock, the current home of WWE PLEs since 2021. “Peacock has been amazing. We bet on Peacock early. They bet on WWE early. We think the bet paid off for both sides,” Khan said. “And here we are now today with Disney. It’s a whole new frontier for us. We’re excited about it.”
Khan highlighted the longstanding and positive relationships between key WWE and TKO executives, Mark Shapiro, Ari Emanuel, Triple H, and himself, with Disney, framing the move as a natural evolution. “Between Mark Shapiro, Ari Emanuel, myself, Triple H, we have extensive history with Disney… the opportunity to take WWE there, we think will broaden the horizons and broaden the viewership with all of our fans and new fans coming in.”
A key fan concern has been whether major events like WrestleMania would return to a traditional pay-per-view model. Khan addressed that directly: “You subscribe to that product. You get WrestleMania, SummerSlam, Royal Rumble, all of our other Premium Live Events with no upcharge,” Khan confirmed.
This approach continues the precedent set by the WWE Network in 2014 and maintained with Peacock since 2021, ensuring that fans get full access to WWE’s biggest shows without additional fees.
Khan also revealed new details about the scope of the deal:
- ESPN will carry 10 PLEs per year.
- The total will span 12 nights, with WrestleMania and SummerSlam continuing as two-night events.
- WWE’s domestic PLE rights are included, with international broadcast rights likely remaining unaffected.
Until January 2026, all of WWE’s Premium Live Events will continue to stream on Peacock in the U.S. Once the deal takes effect, WWE becomes a major cornerstone for ESPN’s direct-to-consumer platform, which is expected to cost $29.99 per month.
This deal signals WWE’s intent to cement itself further into the mainstream sports world, aligning with ESPN’s presentation of marquee events like the Super Bowl, NBA Finals, and UFC PPVs. “This is going to be massive for WWE fans and sports fans alike,” Khan said. “We’re ready to light it up.”
Stay tuned to PWMania.com for continued coverage of this deal and all WWE news leading into 2026.
