WWE’s First ESPN Event Will Be Treated Like the Super Bowl

WWE’s massive $1.625 billion deal with ESPN kicks off in 2026 — and TKO executives are already hyping the first event like it’s the biggest show on Earth.

During TKO’s Q2 2025 earnings call, Chief Operating Officer Mark Shapiro didn’t hold back. While he didn’t name the exact event, Shapiro made it clear that the first WWE Premium Live Event on ESPN will be treated on the same level as the NFL’s biggest night.

“The launch of the WWE PLEs on ESPN, that first event has to be the feel of a Super Bowl, and that works well, because ESPN is getting ready for their first Super Bowl,” Shapiro said. “So we expect to have that kind of treatment when you see WrestleMania on ESPN, let alone the very first launch event — which of course, Netflix did an amazing job of when we first launched Raw and had our first event there.”

ESPN is set to simulcast the Super Bowl with ABC in 2026 — so the comparisons are about to get very real. The company expects WWE’s debut event on ESPN’s new $29.99/month streaming service to be delivered at the same level of prestige and visibility.

While TKO didn’t name the first Premium Live Event, Dave Meltzer reported on Wrestling Observer Radio that WrestleMania 42 is expected to kick off the ESPN era.

“This morning it was announced that WWE is moving to ESPN for their premium live events starting in 2026. It’ll start with Mania in 2026. WrestleMania 2026 and 10 PLEs held over 12 nights — so that counts two nights of WrestleMania, two nights of SummerSlam. That’s the plan for now. But they could increase it. But that is the plan for right now, yeah,” Meltzer said.

Shapiro also admitted that TKO could have gone with another network for slightly more money — but they saw more long-term value teaming with ESPN.

“We could’ve gone elsewhere and maybe gotten a slightly higher rights fee,” Shapiro said during the call. “But we believe in the ESPN brand and what it can do for WWE.”

That five-year deal — worth $325 million annually — starts in 2026 and includes 10 Premium Live Events across 12 nights. The cost to fans? A steep jump from the $10.99 they currently pay on Peacock to $29.99/month or $299/year on ESPN’s new platform.

WWE may be cashing in with ESPN, but they’re also betting that fans will follow — no matter the price tag.

Do you think WrestleMania 42 will really feel like a Super Bowl-level event — and is it worth $29.99 a month? Sound off in the comments below.

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