ESPN Expected to Score WWE’s Entire Video Archive as Peacock Deal Winds Down

WWE’s legendary archive library could soon be locked behind a paywall—and fans may not be thrilled.

According to Dave Meltzer on Wrestling Observer Radio, there’s growing internal expectation that WWE’s massive collection of archived content will be moving to ESPN+ by the end of the year. While nothing is officially confirmed, this move would shift thousands of hours of classic matches, documentaries, and historical footage off free platforms like YouTube.

“It’s expected that the archives will go to ESPN by the end of the year. That hasn’t been confirmed 100%, but that is the expectation internally,” Meltzer explained.

This wouldn’t just be the old WWE Network content. Meltzer said ESPN is aiming to grab the entire on-demand library—including Vault-style content and even WWE’s YouTube classics.

“Not just WWE Network’s archives, but also WWE’s YouTube Vault content, classic matches, historical documentaries—everything. ESPN wants to own all of it.”

If the deal goes through, fans who have relied on free YouTube access might find themselves needing an ESPN+ subscription to keep up with WWE’s rich history. The move is part of WWE’s broader $1.625 billion streaming deal with ESPN, which officially begins in 2026 and already includes live Premium Live Events.

While ESPN+ offers strong infrastructure and a U.S.-centric audience, the shift raises questions about accessibility—especially for international fans and those who can’t justify another streaming bill.

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