Clarification on WWE’s New Deal with ESPN for WWE PLEs in the U.S. and Subs Costs for ESPN’s New Streaming Service for Cable & Satellite Users

As noted before, WWE recently signed a new media rights deal with ESPN to broadcast their Premium Live Events (PLEs) on ESPN’s new streaming service in the United States starting in 2026. Following WWE’s announcement, some confusion quickly spread online over the availability of subscriptions to ESPN’s new streaming service and if users needed to pay the extra $30 per month or $300 per year or if they would get it for free if their provider already carries ESPN.

Wrestlenomics’ Brandon Thurston reported that social media posts stating that if you already have ESPN as part of your cable TV, satellite TV, or live TV streaming service, then you will be able to access WWE PLEs on ESPN’s new streaming service for free is not entirely correct. Thurston reported that the ability to watch WWE PLEs for free on ESPN’s new streaming service is only applicable to select providers.

Thurston reported that these select providers are Charter (Spectrum), DirectTV, FuboTV, Hulu Live TV, and Verizon Fios.

Thurston also reported that customers who currently get access to ESPN through other major providers such as Comcast, YouTube TV, DISH Network, Sling, Altice, Cogeco, Frontier, and Cable One, will need to pay a separate subscription fee to ESPN’s new streaming service to access WWE PLEs starting in April of 2026.

Fightful Select’s Sean Ross Sapp reported that an ESPN representative confirmed that subscribers who already have ESPN through a traditional cable or satellite provider will be granted access to their new direct-to-consumer (DTC) service at no extra charge by authenticating their account in the ESPN app.

In regards to the future of WWE’s library, Sapp reported that it is currently believe that WWE may have an advance deal with Google to utilize their YouTube platform more broadly for this archival content.