ESPN x WWE: $1.625 Billion for Body Slams, Broadcasts & Billion-Dollar Engagement

Description

$1.6B — not for the NFL, not for the NBA — for body slams and billion-dollar loyalty.

Starting 2026, WWE’s Premium Live Events — WrestleMania, Royal Rumble, and SummerSlam — will stream exclusively on ESPN+, in a five-year deal worth $1.625 billion.

📊 Key Data Points
• $1.625B total → $325M/year
• 1B+ hours watched annually
• 60% male 18–34 demo share
• 63% higher fee vs Peacock
• WrestleMania = $100M+ local impact

This isn’t “just wrestling.”
It’s ESPN buying the combat sports monopoly — UFC on Saturday, WWE on Sunday — and locking in retention-driven streaming power.

Men lie. Women lie. The numbers never do.

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