ESPN adds WWE's WrestleMania, Royal Rumble as streaming service sets August 21 launch. Check details
Live Events
(You can now subscribe to our
(You can now subscribe to our Economic Times WhatsApp channel
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 itsforthcoming streaming service, which will be called, simply, ESPN.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.''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.''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.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.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Time of India
22 minutes ago
- Time of India
Zohran Mamdani an AEW fan? Throwback video of NYC mayor-designate cheering for Bryan Danielson resurfaces
Zohran Mamdani, a 33-year-old Indian-origin politician from the US, became the talk of the town in June when he beat New York governor Andrew Cuomo to win New York City's Democratic mayoral primary election. He secured nearly 43% of the vote to pull off the career-changing feat. He has since been in the limelight because of his strong views. Now, an old video has resurfaced and it highlights his love for pro-wrestling. When Zohran Mamdani enjoyed an AEW bout In 2021, Mamdani attended AEW Grand Slam at Arthur Ashe Stadium and enjoyed the action while seated on economy sets instead of the skybox. In a video that has resurfaced, he is seen enjoying Bryan Danielson's match against Kenny Omega. He seemed impressed by Bryan's skills and cheered on with much enthusiasm. The match in question ended as a draw and received rave reviews. Winner of the NYC Democratic Mayoral Primary, Zohran Mamdani, was at the first ever AEW Grand Slam and was stupidly locked in for Kenny Omega vs Bryan Danielson😭🔥 In the clip, he is also seen grooving to CM Punk's Cult of Personality theme song. The track is composed by Living Colour and is a rage among pro wrestling enthusiasts. As such, this should endear him to the pro wrestling community even more. Zohran is a CM Punk fan?!? OMG can this day get any better. 😂😂😂#WWERaw Interestingly, Mamdani is not the only US politician with a pro-wrestling connection. President Donald Trump is a WWE Hall of Famer. He also appeared at WrestleMania 23 and participated in the 'Battle of the Billionaires'. As part of it, he was in Bobby Lashley's corner as he battled Vince McMahon's pick the late Umaga. 'The Boss' won the bout and Trump shaved McMahon's hair as part of the pre-agreed stipulation. About Zohran Mamdani Born in Uganda in 1991, Zohran Mamdai is the son of director Mira Nair and academic Mahmood Mamdani. He shifted to the U.S. as a child and spent his formative years in New York City. After completing his schooling, he graduated from Bowdoin College with a degree in Africana Studies. Mamdani later worked as a foreclosure prevention counselor. His role involved helping tenants sort out housing issues. This experience shaped his out and encouraged him to pursue a career in politics. It is also one of the reasons he attaching a lot of importance to 'affordability. To stay updated on the stories that are going viral, follow Indiatimes Trending
NDTV
4 hours ago
- NDTV
John Cena Gets Candid About Hair Transplant, Says "It Changed The Course Of My Life"
John Felix Anthony Cena, popularly known as John Cena, is an American actor who shot to fame with his career in wrestling. In a recent interview with People, the professional wrestler opened up about a deeply personal transformation - one that has nothing to do with his acting or wrestling career. He shared that he got a hair transplant in 2023, which "completely changed the course" of his life. John Cena Opens Up About Getting A Hair Transplant If you are an avid fan of WWE, you must have noticed that John Cena always used to wear a hat. While the actor looked stylish, the real reason was his hair thinning. Many of his fans even started addressing him as "The Bald John Cena", which pushed the Heads Of State actor to talk about it. He told the publication, "As I was trying to hide my hair loss, the audience was bringing it to light. I saw their signs that said 'The bald John Cena'," shared the 48-year-old. Sharing his haircare routine, John Cena added, "They pushed me into going to see what my options were. I now have a routine: red-light therapy, minoxidil, vitamins, shampoo, conditioner, and I also got a hair transplant last November. I hate the fact that if there wasn't so much shame around it, I'd have gotten it done 10 years ago. I thought I was alone, but seven or eight out of 10 [men] suffer from thinning or baldness." Explaining the process of hair transplant in simple terms, John Cena shared, "They don't do anything except move your hair, one by one, from one area to another." The Peacemaker actor says that he feels no shame in it. "If somebody's going to sweat me for that, I don't think there's any shame in that. It completely changed the course of my life." According to Healthline, hair loss is a common problem and affects 60 percent of men and 50 percent of women. The treatment is used to add more hair in areas where you are thinning and balding. It usually involves taking hair from thicker parts of the scalp or other parts of the body and grafting it to the affected area.
Time of India
7 hours ago
- Time of India
Disney tops earnings forecasts with streaming gains, raises guidance
Walt Disney posted better-than-expected quarterly results and raised its annual profit forecast on Wednesday, led by gains in streaming business, which is expected to be the centrepiece of its growth strategy in the coming years. In the last 24 hours, the media and entertainment company entered two major deals with the National Football League and WWE as it readies its $29.99-per-month ESPN streaming service that will give viewers access to sporting events, including the NFL and National Basketball Association. Adjusted earnings per share rose 16% from a year ago to $1.61 for Disney's fiscal third quarter. Analysts had expected $1.47, according to the LSEG data. The WWE deal will bring exclusive rights to major wrestling events, including WrestleMania and Royal Rumble to the streaming service, set to launch August 21. CEO Bob Iger said the launch of the ESPN app and the NFL deal, along with a coming integration of Hulu into Disney+, would create "a truly differentiated streaming proposition". The NFL will take a 10% equity stake in Disney's ESPN sports network. The deal values were not disclosed. The company has been building its streaming business in sports and entertainment as traditional TV viewing declines. It is also expanding its popular theme parks and cruise lines. For the full year ending in September, the company projected adjusted EPS of $5.85, a 10-cent rise from prior forecasts. "With ambitious plans ahead for all our businesses, we're not done building, and we are excited for Disney's future," Iger said. The company projected it would add 10 million Disney+ and Hulu subscribers in the current quarter, most of them from an expanded partnership with cable operator Charter. In the just-ended quarter, Disney+ and Hulu subscriptions increased by 2.6 million to 183 million, powering a 6% increase in revenue at the direct-to-consumer business. The unit posted an operating income of $346 million, compared with a loss of $19 million a year ago. Operating income in the entertainment division fell 15% to $1 billion. Disney attributed the drop to lower results from traditional television networks and the strong performance of the film "Inside Out 2" a year earlier. Disney's parks division reported a 13% gain in operating income to $2.5 billion. Profit at domestic parks rose 22% even with new competition in Orlando, Florida, from Universal's Epic Universe, which opened in late May, as visitors increased their spending. Walt Disney World in Orlando posted record revenue for the quarter, Disney Chief Financial Officer Hugh Johnston said. At the sports unit, operating income rose 29% to $1 billion. Domestic ESPN profit fell 3%, partly from higher programming and production costs, including rate increases for NBA games and college sports.
