WWE and NBC have announced a huge multi-year deal. The WWE Network will move to NBC’s streaming service, Peacock, beginning on March 18th, 2021 in the United States. The move will take place 3 days before the Fastlane PPV on March 21st. This will not impact WWE Network subscribers outside the United States.
The deal will see the cost of the network drop from $9.99/month to $4.99. Subscribers will also gain access to the rest of NBC’s library. An ad-free version of the service is available for $9.99. In a press release sent this morning, WWE noted that details regarding the migration of customers from one service to the other will be forthcoming closer to March.
WWE Sells Network Streaming Rights To NBC Universal
“We are thrilled to further the long-standing and trusted partnership WWE has with NBCUniversal,” said Nick Khan.
“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.”
There had been rumors WWE was looking to sell the rights to the Network before the onset of the global pandemic. Vince McMahon spoke about the company’s options during the Q4 earnings call in 2019.
“There’s no more better time to exercise the selling of our rights to all the majors who, quite frankly, all the majors are really clamoring for our content,” McMahon said. “So that could be a significant increase, obviously, in terms of revenue.”
