Update on WWE PLEs moving to ESPN
WWE will soon finish up its PLE commitments with Peacock, paving the way for the shows to move to ESPN earlier than expected.
Our Bryan Alvarez has confirmed that WWE will fulfill its quota for Peacock PLEs with the August 31 Clash in Paris event. After that, all future WWE PLEs will be through ESPN:
We have it confirmed that due to the added day of SummerSlam and additional shows including Evolution, the Peacock quota for PLEs will be fulfilled with Clash in Paris, and all future shows will be through ESPN.
It was announced earlier this month that WWE and ESPN had reached a five-year deal for WWE PLEs to move to ESPN starting in 2026. Now, it looks like the first ESPN PLE will be WWE’s September 20 event that’s scheduled for Indianapolis.
WWE has not officially announced the September 20 PLE yet, but the announcement should be made imminently. It’s expected that John Cena vs. Brock Lesnar will headline the show.
The WWE-ESPN deal is reportedly worth $1.6 billion ($325 million per year). WWE PLEs will air on ESPN’s new direct-to-consumer service, along with select events being simulcast on TV. The ESPN streaming service launches this Thursday and is priced at $29.99 per month or $299.99 per year, though at least some viewers who already pay for ESPN through a cable package will receive the service at no extra cost.
It’s not yet known where WWE’s library of archival content will be hosted after the Peacock deal ends.
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