WWE announced a five-year deal to air on ESPN DTC. But as WWE’s already plum bank account continues to grow, some fans are worried about their own finances when it comes to viewing WWE content in 2026.
Of course, WWE and ESPN’s joint announcement was accompanied by social media uproar as many fans misinterpreted the cost of WWE PLEs once the promotion moves to ESPN DTC.
How Much Will WWE Content Cost On ESPN DTC?
- ESPN DTC will not upcharge those who already subscribe to ESPN with a Pay TV provider through cable or with services like YouTube TV. Those with a current ESPN subscription will have access to ESPN DTC via authentication with no additional cost.
- Viewers who do not subscribe to ESPN through a Pay TV provider will have to pay $29.99 per month for ESPN DTC, which comes with WWE in addition to a host of live sports content such as the NFL and US Open Tennis.
“In addition to ESPN DTC subscribers, fans that access ESPN through a traditional pay TV provider, e.g. Comcast, DirectTV, Hulu + Live TV, YouTube TV, will also have access to the new features through the enhanced ESPN App,” read an ESPN DTC fact sheet.
The Total Cost of Watching WWE In 2026
- WWE on NXT airs on the CW. Viewers can watch for free on a number of devices such as Roku, Amazon Fire TV and Apple TV. A full list of devices that stream the CW, free of charge, is available on the CW’s website.
- WWE Raw in the United States is available on Netflix, with plans starting at $7.99 per month. A full list of subscription tiers is available on Netflix’s website.
- WWE SmackDown airs on the USA Network, which is available on several cable and satellite providers such as XFinity, Charter Spectrum, Cox and DirecTV. USA is also available to stream on services such as YouTube TV, Sling and Hulu. Viewers can stream USA on Hulu for as low as $9.99 per month.
- WWE Premium Live Events are available on ESPN DTC with select PLEs airing on ESPN linear TV. Those who already subscribe to ESPN through cable or a live TV streaming service do not have to pay extra for WWE PLEs. For those without a current ESPN subscription, ESPN DTC will cost $29.99 per month.
- The total monthly cost to stream WWE in 2026 will be as low as $17.98 per month, and as high as $47.97 per month.
Since the launch of WWE Network in 2014, WWE fans have become accustomed to paying $9.99 for PLEs. When WWE signed with Peacock, that price reduced to $4.99 per month before increasing to $7.99.
The idea of having to pay an extra $29.99—a price point that will not apply to many viewers of ESPN DTC—sent some fans into a frenzy. In reality, the total monthly price of watching WWE programming is less than a WWE pay-per-view prior to April of 2014. It is also less than watching an AEW pay-per-view, which is typically priced at $49.99 or $7 per hour.
SportsMoney, /sportsmoney, Business, /business, business, sportsmoney, standard WWE announced a five-year deal to air on ESPN DTC. But as WWE’s already plum bank account continues to grow, some fans are worried about their own finances when it comes to viewing WWE content in 2026.
Of course, WWE and ESPN’s joint announcement was accompanied by social media uproar as many fans misinterpreted the cost of WWE PLEs once the promotion moves to ESPN DTC.
How Much Will WWE Content Cost On ESPN DTC?
ESPN DTC will not upcharge those who already subscribe to ESPN with a Pay TV provider through cable or with services like YouTube TV. Those with a current ESPN subscription will have access to ESPN DTC via authentication with no additional cost.
Viewers who do not subscribe to ESPN through a Pay TV provider will have to pay $29.99 per month for ESPN DTC, which comes with WWE in addition to a host of live sports content such as the NFL and US Open Tennis.
“In addition to ESPN DTC subscribers, fans that access ESPN through a traditional pay TV provider, e.g. Comcast, DirectTV, Hulu + Live TV, YouTube TV, will also have access to the new features through the enhanced ESPN App,” read an ESPN DTC fact sheet.
The Total Cost of Watching WWE In 2026
WWE on NXT airs on the CW. Viewers can watch for free on a number of devices such as Roku, Amazon Fire TV and Apple TV. A full list of devices that stream the CW, free of charge, is available on the CW’s website.
WWE Raw in the United States is available on Netflix, with plans starting at $7.99 per month. A full list of subscription tiers is available on Netflix’s website.
WWE SmackDown airs on the USA Network, which is available on several cable and satellite providers such as XFinity, Charter Spectrum, Cox and DirecTV. USA is also available to stream on services such as YouTube TV, Sling and Hulu. Viewers can stream USA on Hulu for as low as $9.99 per month.
WWE Premium Live Events are available on ESPN DTC with select PLEs airing on ESPN linear TV. Those who already subscribe to ESPN through cable or a live TV streaming service do not have to pay extra for WWE PLEs. For those without a current ESPN subscription, ESPN DTC will cost $29.99 per month.
The total monthly cost to stream WWE in 2026 will be as low as $17.98 per month, and as high as $47.97 per month.
Since the launch of WWE Network in 2014, WWE fans have become accustomed to paying $9.99 for PLEs. When WWE signed with Peacock, that price reduced to $4.99 per month before increasing to $7.99.
The idea of having to pay an extra $29.99—a price point that will not apply to many viewers of ESPN DTC—sent some fans into a frenzy. In reality, the total monthly price of watching WWE programming is less than a WWE pay-per-view prior to April of 2014. It is also less than watching an AEW pay-per-view, which is typically priced at $49.99 or $7 per hour.
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