ESPN inks five-year deal for WWE’s live premium events including WrestleMania, Royal Rumble

Streaming Service Launch - ESPN's direct-to-consumer streaming service will launch on August 21st, priced at $29.99 per month [1] - The service will offer everything ESPN has, including new features for fantasy sports, betting, and personalized sports center, accessible outside the cable bundle [1] - ESPN aims to be agnostic, allowing cable subscribers to authenticate and access the streaming service without additional cost, incentivizing them to maintain their cable subscriptions [1] - The industry is closely watching how many cable subscribers will cancel to opt for the ESPN streaming service, potentially pairing it with other streaming services like Netflix or Amazon [1] WWE Rights Acquisition - Disney is paying $325 million per year over 5 years for the US rights to 10 of WWE's premium live events, previously on Peacock, to be shown on ESPN [1] - These events, including WrestleMania, Royal Rumble, and SummerSlam, will move to ESPN starting in the 2026 calendar year [1] Stock Market Reaction - Disney's stock is up 3 and one-third percent following the news, indicating Wall Street's positive reaction [1] - The NFL will take a 10% stake in ESPN, potentially contributing to the stock's upward movement, signaling long-term security and NFL rights on ESPN [1] Industry Impact - The launch of ESPN's streaming service is a significant media question, affecting every media company tied to the linear cable bundle [1] - The industry is trying to find out how many more customers will cancel traditional cable now that ESPN can be accessed outside the bundle [1]