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ESPN Launches $29.99 Streaming Service After Securing WWE Premium Live Events and NFL Network Rights

Disney aims to stem cable subscriber declines by bundling exclusive WWE PLEs from 2026 with NFL Network and RedZone on the new standalone ESPN app.

A WWE logo is shown on a screen before a WWE news conference at T-Mobile Arena on October 11, 2019 in Las Vegas, Nevada.
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Overview

  • The ESPN direct-to-consumer service debuts August 21 at $29.99 per month, offering all seven domestic ESPN linear networks plus ESPN on ABC and ESPN+.
  • Under a five-year, $1.6 billion pact, ESPN becomes the exclusive U.S. home for all WWE Premium Live Events, including WrestleMania, with full event streams and pre- and post-show coverage starting in 2026.
  • In exchange for a 10% stake in ESPN, the NFL transfers control of NFL Network and the RedZone channel to the network, pending regulatory approval.
  • The launch follows sustained cable subscriber losses and reflects ESPN’s strategy to consolidate marquee live sports rights on its standalone platform.
  • Additional NFL offerings on the service include select out-of-market preseason games, a bundling option for NFL+ Premium, and a renewed multi-year deal for the NFL Draft.