WWE Network to Join NBC's Peacock With Multiyear Agreement
WWE Network is moving to a new streaming home in March.
NBC's Peacock and WWE announced a multiyear agreement Monday that gives Peacock exclusive streaming rights to WWE Network in the U.S.
Peacock Premium will launch WWE Network on March 18, when the NBC streaming site plans to roll out more than 17,000 hours of new, original and library WWE programming. All WWE live events, including WrestleMania and SummerSlam, with be available for no additional charge on Peacock, although fans will have the option to order events via traditional pay-per-view. Fastlane is scheduled as the first event to stream on Peacock on March 21.
"We are thrilled to further the long-standing and trusted partnership WWE has with NBCUniversal," WWE president and chief revenue officer Nick Khan said in a statement. "Peacock is an innovative platform that will enable us to showcase our most significant events, including WrestleMania, and provide the extraordinary entertainment our fans have come to expect with the combination of premium WWE content, live sports, news, films, and television programs."
According to Sports Business Journal, the streaming deal is set for five years and worth more than $1 billion.
WWE Network currently operates as a stand-alone streaming service, costing $9.99 per month. Going forward, it will be available as part of Peacock’s $4.99-per-month ad-supported plan or the $9.99-per-month ad-free plan. The companies will share details on managing WWE customer accounts closer to the Peacock launch.
Peacock attracted WWE due to its ability to expand the promotion's fan base, while NBC liked the idea of adding live-event programming to its premium streaming site. On top of that, the nearly three-decade relationship between WWE and NBC Universal reportedly helped the two sides agree to a deal.