AS I SEE IT
Bob Magee
Pro Wrestling Between the Sheets
PWBTS.com
WWE PLEs are leaving Peacock next year and going to ESPN
after the August 6 announcement of a five-year agreement
worth over $1.6 billion, or $325 million AAV, which will see
ESPN’s newest direct-to-consumer streaming service airing
WWE’s monthly PLEs in the United States.
The service is called (inventively) ESPN, and will launch
later this month on August 21 and will cost $29.99 a month
(don't scream yet) as a standalone or $35.99 a month
when bundled with Disney+ and Hulu after the first year. The
first year will get you ESPN, Disney+ and Hulu for the
original $29.99 price.
The service will consist of all ESPN content, including the
ability to stream the ESPN main channels without a cable
subscription. There will be two tiers, the select tier with
$11.99/month and the unlimited tier with $29.99/month or
$300/year. The select tier will essentially replace ESPN+,
while the unlimited tier will have the flagship ESPN
channel, ESPN2, ESPNU, ESPNews, ESPN Deportes, ACC Network,
SEC Network, and ESPN on ABC shows.
Here's the relevant part for WWE fans: Currently, all WWE
premium live events air (in the US) on Peacock for a lot
less. That will go away before WrestleMania when the deal
expires and WWE moves to the ESPN app. WWE premium live
events will be part of the service and will not cost
anything extra identical to the current setup with
Peacock.
Per Alex Sherman of CNBC: "ESPN is paying an average of
$325 million a year for the next five years for WWE’s
premium live events: the annual staples being WrestleMania,
Royal Rumble, SummerSlam, Survivor Series, Money in the Bank
and Elimination Chamber. Other PLEs, such as Bad Blood or
Clash at the Castle, will rotate in and out depending on the
theme or location of the event. The deal will begin in March
2026.
Anyone who already has ESPN through their traditional TV
cable/satellite package will get the ESPN streaming
service free as part of your package. You would simply
need to authenticate to the new ESPN using your cable
credentials to unlock the free service. WWE and ESPN have
done a horrible job not making this fact clear. Social media
has been filled with people angry they'll "have to pay $30 a
month to watch WWE".
However, as always with anything good, there's a
catch...again from Alex Sherman:
"I’m told not every pay-TV provider will be listed on
Aug[ust]. 21, when the application launches. That’s because
ESPN doesn’t have up-to-date carriage agreements with all of
the largest pay TV providers. These deals are staggered over
multiple years. Some have happened recently, others
haven’t.
So, here’s what I can tell you: Disney has been able to get
authentication rights from Charter, DirecTV, Hulu + Live TV,
Fubo, Verizon Fios and some smaller pay TV operators. That
means (as of this blog) ESPN’s direct-to-consumer product
will not initially be available for Comcast Xfinity
customers, YouTube TV subscribers, Dish satellite TV
customers, Sling TV users or Cox cable subscribers. I’m told
discussions with all of these pay TV providers are ongoing,
and Disney hopes to have most of them done by the end of the
year. It’s still unclear to me at this point if Disney can
accelerate some of these discussions if their pay TV
carriage renewals aren’t until 2026. Long-term, ESPN plans
to have authentication deals with every major pay TV
distributor. Disney doesn’t want existing cable customers
leaving the bundle just because ESPN is now available
outside of it.
Now, if you stream only...you have the choice to pay $29.99
to watch WWE PLE...or, if you already have Netflix, use one
of the many VPNs out there (such as NordVPN) to access
Netflix, which will continue to have all WWE TV and PLEs
internationally.
That wasn't all for TKO over the last two weeks, as its UFC
subsidiary today announced a new blockbuster media rights
deal with Paramount Skydance worth $7.7 billion, with an AAV
of $1.1 billion per year, the new deal will see 13 numbered
UFC PLEs and 30 UFC Fight Nights airing exclusively on
Paramount+, with some events being simulcast on CBS.
Leave It to TKO, in a tremendously successful time, to use
it to take a shot at AEW:
“We wanted to get rid of the old model pay-per-view,” TKO CEO Ari Emanuel said. COO Mark Shapiro added, “It’s
antiquated. It’s just an antiquated model. What’s on pay-
per-view these days? Once in a while, a big-time boxing
match that starts in the middle of the night and/or maybe
some movies on DIRECTV. It’s an antiquated model. It’s a
wall. It’s a barrier, at the end of the day, for at the end
of the day, for our fans to get our product.”
Mark Shapiro's snark notwithstanding, the PPV model works
for AEW. It's why PPVs have expanded. It should be obvious
that different business models work well for different
businesses.
If that wasn't enough for the wrestling wars, Postwrestling
reported last Monday that (since it worked so well last
time), WWE will go head-to-head with ALL OUT, adding a PLE
in September on the same day. POST Wrestling spoke with
multiple sources with knowledge of the WWE event schedule,
who confirmed that a yet-to-be-announced PLE will take place
on Saturday, September 20, in Indianapolis, IN.
This will be the first time a WWE main roster PLE will air
the same day as an AEW pay-per-view. Post Wrestling has yet
to confirm the start time of the WWE event. All Out is
scheduled to begin its PPV broadcast at 8 pm ET. It's
believed WWE will throw John Cena vs. Brock Lesnar against
ALL OUT. The obvious intent is...again... to counter program
AEW PPV and AEW programming. Relating to this, Brock Lesnar
has been scheduled for two Smackdown events the two Fridays
before ALL OUT.
The fact is that the blatant nature of WWE's head-to-head
counter-programming of ALL IN with WWE Evolution, NXT Great
American Bash, and Saturday Night's Main Event seemed to
have an opposite effect to what TKO hoped. Instead of
hurting, it sees to galvanize fans to buy ALL IN, even fans
that ordinarily didn't buy AEW PPVs. It'll be interesting to
see what happens in September. I suspect that any effect on
ALL OUT buys will be minimal at best.
There are added rumors that WWE wanted to schedule John
Cena's final match on a Saturday Night's Main Event opposite
World's End on December 27. The holdup is that NBC/Peacock
has an NFL game in that timeslot.
AEW Collision returns to GalaxyCon Columbus for the second
year in a row on Saturday, December 6 at Battelle Grand at
the Greater Columbus Convention Center.
In addition, for the first time in history, Ring of Honor
Final Battle will also take place at GalaxyCon Columbus on
Friday, December 5 and stream live around the world on
HonorClub at WatchROH.com. Tickets for both AEW Collision
and Ring of Honor Final Battle at GalaxyCon Columbus will go
on sale next Monday, August 18 at 10 AM ET via AEWTix.com
and GalaxyConColumbus.com. Fans interested in early access
presale opportunities can register to become an AEW Insider
by visiting allelitewrestling.com/aew-insider.
AEW also announced its return to Daily's Place in
Jacksonville, FL this October with two back-to-back shows on
Dynamite (Title Tuesday): Tuesday, October 7 and Collision:
Wednesday, October 8. The October 7 show will go head-to-
head with NXT once again, likely owing to the MLB Divisional
playoffs It's not clear when Collision will air that week.
There are hot days to come, but summer is in the homestretch
and fall is on the horizon with NFL exhibition games, Back-
To-School sales online and all over TV, and schools already
open in parts of the South. That means that wrestling indies
will soon be thinking about the season of giving.
In 2024, independent wrestling promotions helped their
communities during the Holiday season through wrestling
shows, Comic-Cons, playing video games,10-day marathons
sitting on top of a trailer, bowling parties, online trivia
contests, chicken BBQ's, portrait sittings, Twitch streams,
and a dozen other means. Fans in 31 states and
provinces gave and gave and gave at 170 charity
shows/events/efforts that took place to help their
communities for the Holidays with that came to
369,707.70 in cash donations, 18,081
pounds (that's OVER NINE TONS) of canned and non-
perishable food, 26,843 toys; at least 60 winter
jackets, at least 70 pairs of socks and underwear,
250 backpacks, "bags full of winter clothes" and "tons of
school supplies", 40 blankets, 8 pairs of gloves, a dozen
pair of wool socks, 4 knit hats, over 200assorted
"personal care items"; as well as animal blankets, cat
litter, indoor dry/wet food, cat/dog toys, and unscented
baby wipes for animal rescue groups.
Given the current regime in Washington, far more help will
be needed from every private source possible to help the
hungry, the sick, the cold, the homeless, LGBT people,
sexual/domestic violence victims, animal welfare, and too
many more causes.
Indies, start thinking about what you can do now. If your
local indie hasn't scheduled or announced an event or events
for the Holiday season, ask them why not. Better yet, offer
to help them organize one.
Seven indie promotions already got an early start, and
eleven promotions/organizations have already scheduled
30 shows and events:
* Big Time Wrestling returned to Newark, CA on August 8
for Family Giving Tree, and the third annual Back-To-School
Backpack Drive for new, unused backpacks and school supplies
for local kids in need, grades K-12.
* EPW Wrestling came to Philadelphia, MS on August 9 for the
annual Headlocks for Toys Toy Drive, with WWE/WCW/nWo star
Buff Bagwell, collecting over 100 toys.
* Ottawa/Gatineau, ON independent Mystery Wrestling ran a
24-hour livestream wrestling match on August 11/12 raising
$36,900 CDN ($26,802.50 US) for the 14th annual Fighting
Back: Wrestling with Cancer effort.
* Capital City Championship Wrestling returned to Ottawa, ON
on August 15, raising a collective total for the Canadian
Cancer Society of $132,000 CDN/$95,517.20 US) at the
14th annual Fighting Back: Wrestling with Cancer.
* Supreme Pro Wrestling teamed up with Alex's Lemonade Stand
Foundation to raise money for its annual fundraiser against
childhood cancer on August 17 in Elk Grove, CA raising
$3,790.
* Pro Wrestling King, in cooperation with Fishers BBQ and
Chips' Annual School Supplies Drive, held a Pack a Back Pack
show on August 17 in South Bend, IN, collecting back packs,
shoes, and other supplies.
* Mall Mania, a wrestling event and fan expo came to the
Four Seasons Town Centre in Greensboro, NC on August 17 to
raise Autism Awareness with Blue Hearts for Autism. Tommy
Dreamer and Arn Anderson were part of the event.
* Prestige Wrestling runs its most unique show ever on
August 23, we come to Oregon Pro Wrestling School in
Hillsboro, OR for FJR (if you know, you know), featuring
Danhausen, Kevin Blackwood, Johnnie Robbie, Travis Williams,
Midnight Heat, Maya World, Cody Chhun, DREXL, Vinnie Massaro
and much more! Tickets are donation based (please pay as
much as possible) and room is limited! 100% of the profits
from the event will be donated to RAINN-the nation's largest
sexual abuse charity. Promoter's estimates of current money
raised from advance orders is $3,800
* Rock Solid Wrestling returns to Kirkland Lake, ON on
August 23 for the Community Living Kirkland Lake in Kirkland
Lake, ON; which assists developmentally challenged adults
* Great Canadian Wrestling will hold their fall and winter
series of wrestling shows and Comic-Cons, collecting food
for the local community food banks in each locality in which
they run events; collecting non-perishable and food items
including kids school snacks, juice (boxes and large),
canned veggies/fruit, canned pasta, cereal,
toothpaste/soap/toiletries, pet foods, diapers and baby
supplies. Future shows scheduled thus far are: Barrie,
ON/September 6, Belleville, ON/September 13, Whitby,
ON/September 14, Peterborough, ON/September 26, Kingston,
ON/September 27, Fenelon Falls, ON/September 28, Cobourg,
ON/October 4, Aurora, ON/October 5 , Collingwood, ON/October
18, Bolton, ON/October 20, Lindsay, ON/November 8, Meaford,
ON/November 15, Orillia, ON/November 16, Owen Sound,
ON/November 22, Smith's Falls ON/November 29, Brockville,
ON/November 30, Newmarket, In/December 6, Oshawa,
ON/December 27, Peterborough, ON/January 3
* Journey Independent Championship Wrestling returned on
September 27 in Martinsville, IN for the Austin Fury
Memorial Tournament, raising money to benefit Suicide
Awareness.
* Magnum Wrestling presents Over The Top at Granary Green,
Ralston, NE on October 3 to raise funds for All proceeds
from this event will go to Little Leaf Learning Center .
* Did you get your tickets yet? IWF returns to North
Arlington, NJ on October 4th and limited seats remain!
World-class athletes compete for the Heavyweight, American,
Tag Team and Women's Championships - all to benefit the
Michael Robert Cammett Jr. Memorial Foundation.
* Timmy Global Health presents the 24th annual Timmy
Takedown on Saturday, October 11 in Kirklin, IN. Timmy
Global Health works to connect people to primary healthcare,
and supports community leadership and engage global health
advocates in a community-oriented primary care mode. It
engages students and volunteers to impact both our
international partner’s work and their local home
communities.
* Interspecies Wrestling presents the Canadian version of
Cannonbrawl on October 18, in Chateauguay, QU, Canada as
ISDub and friends honor and fundraise for one of their own
Jeff Cannonball, who has been diagnosed with ALS. We want to
help lighten that load a little - for Jeff, Sam, and little
Milo. This event will feature wrestlers from all over Canada
and the United States,100% of the proceeds from this event,
and all things associated with it (streams, auctions,
raffles) will go directly to Jeff and his family to help
with the costs associated with his care
* Midwest All-Star Wrestling will hold its annual
fundraising dinner and Q&A with Great Muta on October 31 in
Bloomington, MN; then the annual Women of Nations Grand Slam
7 on November 1 in North St. Paul, MN, raising funds for the
Women of Nations shelter that works with survivors of
domestic violence/sexual abuse.
* Independent Pro Wrestling presented Hammering Cancer 6 on
November 9 in Hamilton, ON to raise money and awareness for
the Juravinski Cancer Centre.
* UWC Pro Wrestling returns for its annual Toys for Tots
Show on November 29 at 2 Meadowbrook Lane, New Egypt, NJ.
Admission is FREE with a $20 suggested value new toy
donation, or $20 at the door (all ages). This event happens
conveniently after all those wonderful Black Friday
sales!!!!
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