Disney's ESPN is on the verge of securing a landmark five-year agreement worth more than $1.6 billion for exclusive U.S. streaming rights to all World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) Premium Live Events.

Under the proposed arrangement, ESPN's upcoming direct-to-consumer streaming service will become the sole domestic home for WWE events starting in 2026, eclipsing the wrestling company's current deal with NBCUniversal's Peacock, which carried the events through this year.

The latest deal is reported to average approximately $325 million per year for ESPN, representing a substantial increase over the $180 million annually that Peacock paid for the previous rights agreement.

WWE's lineup of ten annual Premium Live Events, highlighted by the two-night spectacles WrestleMania and SummerSlam, as well as Royal Rumble, Survivor Series, and Money in the Bank, will stream in full on ESPN's new service. Select events will also simulcast on ESPN's linear television networks.

ESPN chairman Jimmy Pitaro hailed the proposed partnership as a strategic boost to the network's content portfolio.

"WWE has an immense, devoted and passionate fanbase that we're excited to super-serve on our new ESPN DTC platform," Pitaro said in a joint statement with WWE.

The ESPN direct-to-consumer service is scheduled to launch on August 21 at $29.99 per month, offering subscribers access to ESPN's full suite of networks and, pending the deal's completion, WWE's high-profile events.

The integration of WWE's Premium Live Events aims to broaden ESPN's appeal to younger and more diverse audiences, approximately 38% female, at a time when student-athlete rights agreements and streaming wars are reshaping sports media.

WWE's current deal with Peacock was valued at $900 million over five years and is set to expire later this year. WWE pioneered direct-to-consumer streaming in 2014 with the launch of the WWE Network before moving its pay-per-view content to Peacock in 2021. The new ESPN arrangement, if finalized, will mark a strategic shift back to a sports-centered platform for WWE's flagship events.

Industry analysts view the negotiations as part of ESPN's broader efforts to pivot toward streaming. The network also recently reached a nonbinding agreement to acquire NFL Network and NFL RedZone, with the NFL taking a 10% equity stake in ESPN. The combined deals underscore Disney's commitment to fortifying ESPN's direct-to-consumer offerings amid intensifying competition in the sports streaming landscape.

Originally published on Enstarz