WWE Working With Disney To Bring Their Audiences Together

Last year, Disney announced it had signed a deal with the TKO Group to make ESPN’s new streaming service, ESPN Unlimited, the exclusive U.S. domestic home of all WWE Premium Live Events (PLEs), including WrestleMania, SummerSlam, Royal Rumble, Survivor Series, Money in the Bank, among others.

Some of these events have also had select simulcasts on ESPN linear platforms, and bundled subscribers have been able to watch these events on ESPN on Disney+.  Some WWE events have also been made available to Disney+ subscribers in the US for a limited time after the event.

While we’ve seen Disney promoting WWE events on its social media accounts and on its ESPN linear channels, it looks like in 2027, Disney and WWE are going to be working together.

During an interview with the TKO Group at the Goldman Sachs conference, President and COO Mark Shapiro revealed that in 2027, WWE is going to be working more closely with Disney to reach a wider family audience, saying:

Frankly, we’re scoring on the family-first message. Remember, WWE is a different audience than the UFC, and when it comes to going after families, that’s our audience, and I think advertisers are starting to see that. Frankly, I’m excited for 2027 because we’re working with The Walt Disney Company on some special events around Disney and WWE and bringing those two audiences together since, of course, what do they have in common? Family.

So what could these special events be?  There are multiple options for what this could be and I wouldn’t be surprised if WWE wants to get its larger shows to a bigger audience by offering more PLE’s through Disney+ in the US.  While there are plenty of ESPN Unlimited subscribers, WWE does need families to be able to watch events more easily, not just for viewership numbers, but to sell tickets to events and merchandise.   

It’s a common rumour in the wrestling community that WWE viewership on ESPN isn’t where it should be, especially since many fans have been confused by the ESPN Unlimited app, leading WWE to make monthly videos explaining how to watch.

Could we start seeing WWE stream its PLE events on both the ESPN Unlimited and Disney+ apps, allowing it to reach a much larger audience?  Disney is ultimately paying TKO for the rights, and they want more people to watch them, as they make more money from advertising.   However, I would still advise caution on this being a potential expansion onto Disney+, and I wouldn’t expect every PLE in 2027 to be available to Disney+ subscribers, since the main aim of the deal was to encourage ESPN Unlimited subscribers.

There could be other theories about what this partnership could be.  WWE could also do activations at locations like Disney Springs at Walt Disney World and Downtown Disney at Disneyland Resort.  They could also offer special promos to get more Disney subscribers to get ESPN Unlimited or special promotional tie-in shows to get families into WWE, like the short-lived “Love & WWE” show or streaming the first hour of each PLE on Disney+, as it does with the ESPN linear channel.

I’m not expecting Disney+ to become the home of WWE PLE’s, but there does look to be something in the works that could mix things up and hopefully give casual WWE fans more access to these shows. 

What do you think TKO could be referencing with working with Disney?  Let me know on social media!