Variety.com is reporting that WWE and NBCU have reached a multiyear agreement which will give streaming service Peacock exclusive rights to WWE Network content for viewers in the United States.
According to TheWrap.com, the change will be made on March 18th and WWE Fastlane will be the first PPV event available on Peacock. WWE programming will be part of Peacock’s ‘Premium’ tier which costs $4.99 a month and includes ads. Fans can also subscribe to the ‘Premium Plus’ tier which costs $9.99 and is commercial-free. The service on Peacock will include all the WWE PPV events at no extra charge. Fans outside of the United States will not be affected by the change.
Additional details will be released soon as to how existing WWE Network subscribers in the United States will be transferred over to Peacock.
Rick Cordella, executive vice president and chief revenue officer of Peacock, issued a statement:
“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. 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 have a lot of data that shows live events and sports drives a lot of user acquisition. The bet is that there exists a much larger total available audience [for WWE programming] than is on WWE Network today.”
Nick Khan, WWE president and chief revenue officer, also issued a statement:
“We are thrilled to further the long-standing and trusted partnership WWE has with NBCUniversal. 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.”
“We feel great about the financials. Otherwise we wouldn’t have done the deal To have WrestleMania in particular — which is our Super Bowl — available [for no extra cost] on Peacock is quite different from other models you’re seeing.”
