There was a time when the idea of WrestleMania airing on ESPN seemed ridiculous. A different television landscape, where cable is struggling and streaming is king, created a powerful tag team between the worldwide leaders in sports and sports entertainment.
ESPN will broadcast WWE’s premium live events (PLEs) starting in April 2026 with WrestleMania 42. The deal, announced by WWE and Disney, includes ten PLEs each year, featuring major events like WrestleMania, Royal Rumble, SummerSlam, Survivor Series, and Money in the Bank.
Reportedly, the deal is worth $1.6 billion over five years, or $320 million annually. WWE PLEs will air on ESPN’s new direct-to-consumer streaming service, launching August 21 for $29.99 per month. The last PLE to air on Peacock in 2025 will be Survivor Series on November 29. Peacock will air the Royal Rumble in January 2026. It’s unclear if Peacock will air WWE’s February PLE, Elimination Chamber. NXT PLEs are excluded from the ESPN deal.
The future home of WWE’s library archive is uncertain. However, the launch of WWE Vault and WCW YouTube channels in late 2024 has introduced a range of old pay-per-view events, which might serve as the library’s new platform.
ESPN’s new direct-to-consumer streaming service differs from ESPN+. The new service is a comprehensive offering of all ESPN channels and content, designed to counteract cord-cutting, which is the decline in cable television subscribers.
The pricing of ESPN’s new service has upset wrestling fans who currently enjoy Premium Live Events (PLEs) on Peacock. Xfinity customers can access Peacock Premium for free, as they own the streaming platform. For everyone else, the cost is $10.99 per month for the ad-supported Premium plan or $16.99 per month for the commercial-free Premium Plus option.
Fans who access Peacock through Xfinity will see a price increase from free to $29.99 per month. Those currently paying $10.99 or $16.99 per month for Peacock will face increases of $19.00 and $13.00, respectively, to watch the PLE events on ESPN.
ESPN confirmed that customers with the channel in their cable or streaming packages will get the new ESPN service for free, except for Xfinity users. Hopefully, this changes before WWE’s ESPN debut in April 2026.
The economic implications virtually mark the end of free WWE content. A cord cutter who subscribes to Sling TV pays $45.99 per month to watch SmackDown on USA, $7.99 per month to watch Monday Night Raw on the ad-supported plan via Netflix, and $29.99 per month beginning in April 2026 for PLEs on ESPN.
$83.97 per month is the cost to watch all of WWE’s main roster content for those who don’t qualify to get ESPN for free through authentication or $1,007.64 per year. NXT on CW is the only WWE program that airs completely free on broadcast television.
Considering how TKO has managed UFC with excessive price increases, it was only a matter of time before they did the same with WWE. Various price hikes over time between ESPN and TKO means the price for the new ESPN service is guaranteed to go up. The $29.99 price tag in 2026 will be much higher before the end of the deal in 2031. Professional wrestling fans now feel the same frustration that MMA fans have felt for years.
Price increases are common in the streaming industry. Over the past five years, ESPN+ has seen its monthly subscription price rise from $4.99 to $10.99. The bundle deal that includes Disney+ and Hulu has also increased in price, from $9.99 per month to $14.99 and then to $24.99 per month. Additionally, UFC pay-per-view events on ESPN+ cost $59.99 in 2019, and cost $79.99 in 2025. It is entirely possible that WWE PLEs will fall under the same pay model.
Even if PLEs do not incur additional costs, WrestleMania might be the exception. The idea of charging more for WrestleMania on a streaming platform has been discussed for over a decade. WWE attempted to sell its most prestigious event separately from the other PLEs before finalizing its deal with ESPN.
Reportedly, Vince McMahon wanted to charge extra for WrestleMania when the WWE Network launched in 2014. However, former company co-presidents George Barrios and Michelle Wilson persuaded McMahon that the network’s key to success was to include all live event offerings in the subscription price. It might not happen in 2026, but the dark side is strong with this idea to occur someday.
Every wrestling fan has a different financial situation and subscribes to streaming and cable services for different reasons. Wrestling fans who are also sports fans might see ESPN’s $29.99 as a bargain. In contrast, those solely interested in WWE content might find the price prohibitive.
In my current situation, I am fortunate to have Peacock Premium for free through Xfinity. To reduce my monthly bill, I switched to a lower-tier channel lineup. As a result, I lost several channels, including ESPN, but I didn’t mind because much of ESPN’s daily content is available on YouTube.
If Xfinity reaches an authentication deal with ESPN, I would have two options: I could either switch to a higher-tier channel lineup that includes ESPN, which would increase my cable bill, or I could keep my current Xfinity channel lineup and subscribe to ESPN’s new service directly. However, if ESPN and Xfinity do not reach a deal, my only option would be to pay $29.99 to watch WWE on ESPN.
Many have suggested using a VPN to subscribe to a streaming service outside the United States. WWE airs all of its content, including PLEs, on Netflix in the United Kingdom. The average price of a VPN subscription is $12.99, and Netflix UK costs USD 17.49 per month for a total of $30.48. That is $1.49 more than ESPN’s current offering.
Long-time wrestling fans remember when wrestling pay-per-view events cost $29.99. Over time, the price increased until the WWE Network emerged, shouting $9.99 until our ears bled. Now, it seems our wallets will bleed in 2026.
Hopefully, the price increase for WWE PLEs will lead to more matches and fewer commercials. Adding two matches per event, totaling seven instead of five, would help justify the higher cost. However, this may not change. WWE’s Chief Content Officer, Paul Levesque, aka Triple H, has favored five-match cards since he officially started his creative career in 2012 with NXT.
WWE’s deal with ESPN may seem greedy, but it is also a wise business choice. For instance, Netflix paid the NFL $150 million to stream its two games on Christmas Day. Similarly, WWE decided to distribute its content across multiple platforms. WWE signing a deal with Disney is a message that says they are a legitimate brand in the entertainment industry.
ESPN’s history with professional wrestling goes back many years. Verne Gagne’s AWA, Joe Pedicino’s GWF, and Fritz Von Erich’s World Class Championship Wrestling all occupied airtime on the popular sports network. Now, the most prominent promotion in wrestling will “show’em all how it’s done,” as the mouse adds WWE to its content portfolio in this ever-growing streaming landscape where fans unfortunately pay more for less.
Begun, the Disney era has.
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