WWE has signed a new deal with ESPN to air all of its premium live events (PLEs) on the network’s direct-to-consumer streaming service starting in 2026.
During a recent earnings call, TKO President Mark Shapiro discussed various topics, including why the company chose ESPN over Netflix, with whom they already have a deal for RAW. Shapiro mentioned that while they could have secured a slightly higher rights fee with another partner, they valued the strength of ESPN’s brand more highly.
This is what Mark Shapiro said, “First off, I think we’ve been consistent in our messaging to you, that we were always a little reticent about having all of our eggs in one basket. Don’t get me wrong, when you’re doing these deals, you’re balancing monetization, right? Of the asset and the opportunity, with, of course, reach, with regard to our brand and our audience. So, that certainly played a factor. When we had went into the market, at roughly the same time, we began talking with interested parties in the UFC. We had strong interest because more than anything else, these are monthly, big events, and we’re now, frankly, living in the big event era if you will.”
On the value of the ESPN brand:
“I would just tell you, when all was said and done, we could have actually had a slightly higher rights fee by going with another partner. But we felt the strength of ESPN’s brand, their reach, the platform, the makeup of their audience and their D.T.C. strategy, which is launching soon here, was just as important as the dollars and we’ve been consistent with our approach in our messaging to you. Ultimately, we’re sitting here with a five-year deal, annual escalators, high-margin revenue stream with attractive visibility and stability. Deflative programming that are the PLEs and Nick Khan and Triple H have done such an amazing job taking the baton from Vince McMahon. These PLEs are purpose-built for direct-to-consumer services. We will stream all 10 PLEs over the course of a year… The idea of having a Money in the Bank, a SummerSlam, a WrestleMania, take your pick from our PLEs, with the first hour or even two simulcast on ESPN linear and the D.T.C. which is a handoff to their direct-to-consumer. You just can’t beat that proposition, and of course, that’s driven by the fact that ESPN’s linear platform is absolutely unmatched in the industry.”
You can check out Shapiro's comments in the video below.
(H/T to Fightful for transcribing the above quotes)
