ESPN just announced a “landmark” deal to air WWE Premium Live Events on its platforms. The move will see all WWE PLEs air on ESPN platforms in the United States beginning in 2026. RAW also began airing on Netflix in January, and SmackDown moved to USA Network in 2024.
However, any concerns about more WWE programming shake-ups should be quelled.
In September 2023, WWE signed a five-year deal with NBCUniversal to air SmackDown on USA Network starting in October 2024. According to CNBC’s Alex Sherman, that agreement is still intact, and SmackDown will continue to air on USA Network through 2029. Those shows will continue to be available for viewing on Peacock after they air live on USA.
ESPN holds the rights to air all WWE Premium Live Events in the United States beginning in 2026. However, Netflix holds the rights to PLEs outside the United States. NBCUniversal’s Peacock has had the exclusive rights to WWE PLEs in the United States since 2021. The WWE library on Peacock was not mentioned as part of the deal with ESPN. This has led to speculation that WWE could still keep its content on Peacock, or perhaps move to another streaming service.
According to Sherman, the new deal between WWE and ESPN is a five-year deal worth $325 million annually.
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