ESPN and WWE: Historic agreement to stream WrestleMania

WWE Arrives at ESPN: A New Home for WrestleMania and More Premium Events

In a piece of news that shakes the world of sports entertainment, World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) has signed a strategic agreement with ESPN. Starting in 2026, WWE’s most emblematic events, including WrestleMania, will be broadcast exclusively on ESPN’s new direct-to-consumer streaming platform. This agreement, announced on Wednesday, covers two-night events like WrestleMania and SummerSlam, as well as other premium live WWE events such as Royal Rumble, Survivor Series, and Money in the Bank. WWE will handle the production of these events for ESPN platforms, which will serve as their exclusive home in the United States.

“WWE has an immense, devoted, and passionate fanbase that we are excited to serve on our new ESPN DTC platform,” said Jimmy Pitaro, ESPN president.

Jimmy Pitaro, ESPN president

The association also includes the possibility of ESPN broadcasting the pre- and post-show programs for WWE events for all live premium events.

Breaking News: WWE Premium Live Events are headed to @espn platforms in the U.S. starting in 2026 pic.twitter.com/uD4KOiQYBg

— WWE (@WWE) August 6, 2025

Mark Shapiro, President and COO of TKO, expressed his enthusiasm for this collaboration: “We are proud to reinforce the ‘E’ in ESPN at such an exciting juncture in its direct-to-consumer journey. WWE’s premium live events are recognized for the exact type of rich storytelling, incredible feats of athleticism, and must-see cultural experiences that have become synonymous with ESPN.” ESPN will launch its streaming service on August 21st with a price of $29.99 per month and will keep the name of the linear network: ESPN. The direct-to-consumer service will allow users to access ESPN’s seven national linear networks, as well as ESPN on ABC and various other streaming options. WWE events previously streamed on Peacock in 2025.