Peacock has obtained exclusive streaming rights to WWE Network in the U.S. in a multi-year deal, the companies announced today. WWE Network will be added to Peacock Premium on March 18th.
The exact details of the migration plan for WWE Network subscribers weren’t shared. WWE Network has 1.1 million domestic subscribers who pay $9.99 per month. They would be saving half of that because Peacock Premium is $4.99 per month, with ads. Plus these subscribers would also get access to the full Peacock Premium library which is over 30K hours of content.
WWE Network includes the 24/7 stream, live pay-per-view events such as “WrestleMania” and “SummerSlam,” original series such as “Steve Austin Broken Skull Sessions” and “Undertaker: The Last Ride,” in-ring shows, documentaries, and one signature documentary per year starting in 2022. The first pay-per-view event to stream exclusively on Peacock will be “Fastlane” on March 21.
WWE Network originally launched as a direct-to-consumer streaming service on February 24, 2014 powered by MLB Advanced Media’s technology platform.
The WWE Network deal is the biggest content move for Peacock aside from its acquisition of “The Office.” Last week, NBCU chairman of television and streaming Mark Lazarus said that “The Office” is Peacock’s most-viewed title, no surprise since it was the most-viewed streaming show in 2020, while still on Netflix.
For Peacock, the deal could also be something of a template for further tie-ups with smaller streaming services if the fragmented market eventually consolidates. Streaming channel stores, like those on Amazon, Apple and Roku, where subscribers pay incrementally for additional SVOD services, have been around for a while now, but Peacock-WWE Network could be a different model where niche subscription content is instead rolled into bigger platforms.
Categories: Deals & Financings