The new partnership between WWE and ESPN is set to begin in September, and a new report indicates that the companies are open to expanding the number of premium live events on the calendar. During a recent media call, an ESPN executive stated that they are “certainly game” to have conversations about evolving the current PLE schedule.
The media call, which featured ESPN executives Matt Kenny and J.T. Lasker, was held to promote the inaugural Wrestlepalooza event on September 20, which will be the first WWE PLE to air on ESPN’s new streaming platform.
More WWE PLEs On The Way?
During the call, WrestleZone’s Bill Pritchard asked about the possibility of adding more premium live events to the ESPN broadcast calendar. He specifically noted the empty month of December, which currently only has a “Saturday Night’s Main Event” special scheduled for Peacock.
ESPN’s Matt Kenny responded that while they are happy with the current schedule, they are open to discussions about adding more events in the future. “We knew what we were signing up for when we acquired the PLEs. The PLEs are incredibly invaluable,” Kenny said (H/T to Fightful). “If there’s conversations to be had about evolving that, then we’re certainly game to doing that.”
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A New Era of Distribution
The new five-year, $1.6 billion deal between WWE and ESPN marks a new era for how fans will consume WWE’s biggest shows. The partnership is a key part of TKO Group Holdings’ strategy to align WWE’s distribution model with that of its sister company, the UFC. The move is designed to integrate WWE into the mainstream sports conversation and attract new, casual fans through the “Worldwide Leader in Sports.”
The potential for an expanded PLE schedule is a noteworthy development. The traditional monthly pay-per-view calendar has already been altered in recent years with the addition of more international events and two-night WrestleManias and SummerSlams. This new partnership with a sports-focused broadcaster could lead to even more changes to the long-standing structure of the WWE calendar.
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