It turns out Netflix never even made an offer for WWE Premium Live Events and TKO executives are now revealing why they were totally fine walking away.
During the Q2 2025 TKO earnings call, Chief Operating Officer Mark Shapiro confirmed that despite Netflix already housing WWE content internationally, they didnt put up a bid for WWEs PLE rights in the United States. Shapiro explained the decision like this:
He added that ESPNs proven strength with sports audiences and the confidence WWEs fanbase would follow sealed the deal.
This comes after WWE announced its five-year, $1.625 billion deal to bring 10 annual Premium Live Events to ESPNs new $29.99/month streaming platform starting in 2026. While speculation had surrounded Netflix as a potential partner, it turns out the streaming giant never stepped into the ring.
Meanwhile, TKO CFO Andrew Schleimer also confirmed WWE was able to ditch several expensive obligations that were part of the old Peacock deal including original documentary content and hundreds of hours of in-house production.
Netflix sat this one out, and TKOs fine with it. But with ESPNs higher price point, fans will now have to decide whether theyre ready to follow WWE into its next streaming era.
Were you surprised Netflix didnt try to land WWEs biggest shows? Let us know in the comments below.
