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WWE and its content is moving away from the WWE Network streaming service and finding a new home on Peacock, after the wrestling company made a new deal with NBC Universal. This deal also means the end of the WWE Network come mid-March.
NBCU is paying WWE $1 billion for a five-year deal to bring WWE to Peacock, according to a report from The Wall Street Journal. As part of this, WWE will close its WWE Network streaming service in the US, with Peacock getting this content exclusively in the US going forward.
“One of the key things we’re trying to do is differentiate ourselves through live events and sports, and this premium content is a cornerstone of our strategy,” Peacock boss Rick Cordella said.
However, this new agreement will mean the shut down of the WWE Network come mid-March, WWE’s streaming service which has been running since 2014. Originally, the service was the home to classic wrestling shows, live PPV matches, and original programming.
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WrestleMania, WWE Icons, and Steve Austin’s Broken Skull Sessions will be exclusive to Peacock in the US from around mid-March. Additionally, historical WWE events will be available to re-watch on Peacock. The WWE Network branding will continue to appear on Peacock.
This seems like a good deal for fans of the WWE, as all of the content will be available on Peacock for $5 per month (with ads) or $10 per month without them. On the WWE Network, everything cost $10/month.
“We are thrilled to bring WWE Network to Peacock beginning March 18, and to continue to create best-in-class sports entertainment content that will not only put smiles on people’s faces, but provide our fans with an experience worthy of their passion,” said WWE’s chief branding officer Stephanie McMahon in press release.
The WWE Network comes to Peacock on March 18, and at that time, there will be 17,000 hours of new, original, and back-catalog programming available on demand.
This includes all of the following:
WWE Network On Peacock Includes
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.
Peacock is just getting started, but it already has 26 million subscribers. One of the platform’s marquee offerings is The Office, which continues to be massively popular and successful many years after going off the air.
As for the wrestling side of things, the next big PPV is none other than the Royal Rumble, airing on Sunday, January 31. Make sure to come back to GameSpot that evening to check out live results from the event along with a review of the show.
