ESPN adds WWE’s WrestleMania, Royal Rumble as streaming service sets August 21 launch. Check details

WWE and ESPN have reached an agreement that will include WrestleMania in ESPN's new direct-to-consumer streaming service from 2026. The Disney controlled sports and entertainment business will pay an average of $325 million per year for five years of US rights to the WWE’s biggest live events, including WrestleMania, the Royal Rumble and SummerSlam, according to reports.

ESPN's future begins streaming on Aug. 21, and starting next year, it will have a lineup of notable new events joining it. On Wednesday, the sports media giant officially announced the launch date for its
forthcoming streaming service, which will be called, simply, ESPN.

WWE, ESPN ink deal

ESPN has struck a landmark agreement with WWE to bring its marquee live events — including WrestleMania, SummerSlam, and the Royal Rumble — to its U.S. service starting next year, while Netflix retains international streaming rights. The network has also expanded its partnership with the NFL to cover events such as the NFL Draft and will introduce a new bundle featuring the NFL+ streaming service. The service was officially unveiled back in May, with a $29.99 monthly price point and teased plans to bundle it alongside Disney+ and Hulu.

In a word of praise for WWE, ESPN chairman Jimmy Pitaro issued a statement, saying: “WWE has an immense, devoted and passionate fanbase that we're excited to super-serve on our new ESPN DTC platform.”

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“This agreement, which features the most-significant WWE events of the year, bolsters our unprecedented content portfolio and helps drive our streaming future.”

For all Premium Live Events, ESPN will also have the chance to broadcast WWE's pre- and post-event performances.

All 10 of the WWE’s premium live events each year will stream on ESPN’s new $29.99 per month direct-to-consumer platform in the US Select events will be simulcast on ESPN’s linear networks.

TKO Group President and COO Mark Shapiro said that WWE and ESPN have strategically strengthened their ties in recent years. TKO, which holds controlling ownership of WWE, is led in part by Shapiro, who served as a top ESPN executive in the early 2000s.

“We are proud to reinforce the ‘E’ in ESPN at such an exciting juncture in its direct-to-consumer journey. WWE Premium Live Events are renowned for exactly the type of rich storytelling, incredible feats of athleticism, and can’t-miss, cultural tentpole experiences that have become synonymous with ESPN,” added TKO president and COO Mark Shapiro. “Through our UFC relationship, we have experienced firsthand how transformational an ESPN presence can be, and we know this will be an exceptional partnership at a time of great innovation for both companies.”

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“In many ways, this is our destiny,” Shapiro was quoted as saying by CNBC. “If you want to expand the audience, our fan base, the fervor around WWE, and grow on a real significant national scale, you can’t do that as it relates to the sports world without partnering with ESPN.”

“Our place was built as the entertainment and sports programing network,” Pitaro said, referencing the literal meaning of the acronym, “ESPN.” “This is a fantastic way for us to expand our audience. It’s younger, it’s more diverse, and it’s more female than what we see at the network level.”

The major WWE rights, combined with the expanded NFL rights, provide additional ammo for the service to gain market share.

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The announcements came just hours after ESPN unveiled a blockbuster deal with the NFL, granting the league a 10% ownership stake in exchange for NFL Network, rights to RedZone, select additional NFL games, and NFL fantasy content. Once the deal closes, NFL Network will be integrated into ESPN’s upcoming streaming service, with more NFL programming to follow.

The reveal of ESPN’s streaming launch date also arrives just a day after Fox announced its own sports- and news-focused platform, Fox One, set to debut on November 21 at $19.99 per month. The high price point reflects the challenging economics of live sports and linear television, while highlighting the significant value once delivered by the traditional TV bundle.