Peacock Adds Wrestling In WWE Network Streaming Exclusive

The WWE has signed a multi-year deal with NBCUniveral’s Peacock that will bring exclusive U.S. rights to the WWE Network to the nascent streaming service.

Peacock, which launched in mid-2020, has made sports a centerpiece of its strategy. The service streams Premier League soccer and has carried NFL football, NHL hockey and a range of other sports.

The WWE deal will give Peacock exclusive access to the WWE Network. Initially launched in 2014 as a pure subscription service, the network branched out into free, ad-supported streaming last year. Its presence on Peacock will include both on-demand programming and a 24/7 live channel, one of several dozen featured on Peacock in a Pluto TV-like feature.

Some streaming channels and partner brands are offered on Peacock’s free, basic tier. The WWE Network’s 17,000-hour lineup of original and library content will be on Peacock’s $5-a-month premium tier.

“NBCUniversal has a long-standing relationship with WWE that began nearly 30 years ago with Monday Night Raw on USA. WWE has always tapped into the cultural zeitgeist with spectacular live events and larger-than-life characters, and we are thrilled to be the exclusive home for WWE Network and its millions of fans across the country,” said Rick Cordella, Executive Vice President and Chief Revenue Officer, Peacock. “WWE Network is a transformative addition to the platform and complements Peacock’s massive catalog of iconic movies and shows, as well as the best live news and sports, from NBCUniversal and beyond.”

“We are thrilled to further the long-standing and trusted partnership WWE has with NBCUniversal,” said Nick Khan, WWE President and Chief Revenue Officer. “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.”

Peacock will launch WWE Network on March 18, beginning the roll-out of more than 17,000 hours of new, original, and library WWE Network programming on demand and on a 24/7 channel, including:

• All live pay-per-view  events including WrestleMania and SummerSlam; Fastlane will be the first WWE pay-per-view to stream on Peacock on Sunday, March 21.
• Original series like Steve Austin Broken Skull Sessions, Undertaker: The Last Ride and the all-new WWE Icons;
• In-ring shows like NXT, NXT UK and WWE 205 Live, as well as replays of Raw and SmackDown;
  WWE Network archives, including every WWE, WCW and ECW pay-per-view event in history;
• Groundbreaking documentaries, including WWE 24, WWE Untold, and WWE 365
• And, starting in 2022, one signature documentary annually.

The companies said they will share details on managing customer accounts closer to the Peacock launch in March.