WWE and Disney's ESPN Reach $1.6 Billion Deal for Exclusive Rights

Disney's ESPN has reached a $1.6 billion deal with WWE to acquire exclusive rights to major events including WrestleMania and SummerSlam. The five-year deal, set to begin in 2026, includes US streaming rights to these events, with ESPN paying $325 million annually. The agreement will give Disney's ESPN a significant boost in its sports and entertainment offerings.

Disney's ESPN has secured a landmark five-year deal with WWE, worth $1.6 billion, to acquire exclusive streaming rights to major events including WrestleMania and SummerSlam. The agreement, set to commence in 2026, will see ESPN pay $325 million annually for the rights, significantly bolstering the sports and entertainment offerings of Disney's streaming platform.

Under the terms of the deal, ESPN will become the exclusive U.S. home for all of WWE's top live events, including WrestleMania, SummerSlam, Royal Rumble, and Survivor Series. The events will be streamed on ESPN's new direct-to-consumer streaming service, with select simulcasting on linear ESPN platforms. Additionally, ESPN will have the option to stream pre- and post-shows tied to these events, totaling ten in all.

The agreement marks a strategic move for both parties. Jimmy Pitaro, chairman of ESPN, highlighted the potential for WWE to help attract a younger and more diverse audience to ESPN's platforms. "WWE is going to help us get younger. It's going to help us get more diverse. It's going to help us bring in more females," Pitaro said in a recent interview [1].

The deal also represents a significant opportunity for WWE, which will continue to produce all the events. Nick Khan, president of WWE, expressed excitement about the partnership, stating, "We know the sky is the limit" [1].

The new rights pact will broaden WWE's portfolio, allowing the company to continue its business with NBCUniversal and its Versant spin-off, which will show Saturday Night's Main Event and Friday Night SmackDown, respectively. Netflix will retain its global streaming rights for Monday Night Raw, SmackDown, and live events outside the U.S. The chance to coordinate WWE's signature events across Netflix and ESPN was attractive to both companies, according to Mark Shapiro, president and chief operating officer of TKO Group Holdings, Inc. [2].

The executives involved in the agreement declined to discuss the financial terms in detail. However, the deal is expected to provide a substantial boost to ESPN's streaming services, particularly as it faces the end of its current rights deal with UFC in 2025. Pitaro noted that ongoing discussions about potential collaborations between UFC and ESPN are a priority, though the specifics remain to be seen [2].

References:

[1] https://variety.com/2025/tv/news/espn-wwe-live-events-wrestlemania-streaming-rights-1236479492/
[2] https://www.marketscreener.com/news/espn-wwe-reach-landmark-rights-agreement-as-espn-platforms-become-exclusive-u-s-domestic-home-of-a-ce7c5ed9dd81f526