WWEs move to ESPN Unlimited hasnt been seamless but TKO President Mark Shapiro says the numbers are already trending in the right direction. Speaking Monday at the Morgan Stanley Technology, Media & Telecom Conference, Shapiro addressed the WWE-ESPN partnership and the impact of shifting premium live events to the ESPN Unlimited platform last September. Since the launch with Wrestlepalooza and the debut of the ESPN Unlimited app, accessibility has been a major talking point. The service still hasnt been fully authenticated for subscribers of several major TV providers, meaning some fans must pay $29.99 per month without cable authentication. Shapiro didnt dodge that reality. He made it clear that broader authentication deals with providers like Comcast, YouTube TV, and Dish are critical. Comcast Xfinity recently rolled out access, while YouTube TV may not complete integration until the fall. Despite those hurdles, Shapiro said the long-term outlook remains strong. When it came to actual performance, Shapiro revealed that this past weekends Elimination Chamber event drew a larger audience than Septembers Wrestlepalooza even though ESPN has not publicly released viewership numbers. That hourly tracking suggests TKO leadership is closely monitoring the platforms growth as WWE continues streaming all main roster premium live events exclusively on ESPN Unlimited. Shapiro also addressed the broader media landscape, noting that the potential Paramount Skydance acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery would be only good for us. He again floated the idea that TNT long associated with sports programming could potentially be a fit for UFC events in the future if a deal materializes. For now, WWEs focus remains on expanding ESPN Unlimiteds authentication reach. Once more cable and streaming subscribers can access the platform at no additional cost, Shapiro believes viewership will improve immediately. Do you think WWEs shift to ESPN Unlimited will pay off long term, or is the accessibility issue still holding it back? Drop your thoughts in the comments and let us know how youre watching WWE PLEs right now. G Add as a preferred source on Google
