Mickey Mouse to the WWE? Disney extends its empire into the world of sport
Disney is increasingly positioning itself as a major sports monopoly after acquiring the NFL Network and WWE.
Disney continues to expand its sports empire through ESPN, which it acquired in 1996 for $19 billion. Since then, the company has built a powerful media presence that grew even further following ESPN’s acquisitions of the NFL Network and WWE.
On Wednesday, August 6, WWE and ESPN announced a major new deal worth $325 million per year over the next five years—a total of $1.625 billion. The agreement includes exclusive broadcast rights to WrestleMania starting in 2026. Until now, WWE’s major events had been airing on the Peacock network.
“WWE’s partnership with ESPN is a pivotal moment for our millions of fans in the U.S.—the leader in sports entertainment partnering with the biggest brand in sports media,” said WWE Chairman Nick Khan. “Bringing WWE’s signature events to ESPN is incredibly exciting. We know the sky’s the limit.”
Every @WWE Premium Live Event. All in one place!
— ESPN PR (@ESPNPR) August 6, 2025
Starting in 2026, ESPN's DTC service will be the U.S. home to all of WWE’s biggest events - including @WrestleMania, @SummerSlam, Royal Rumble & more
Details: https://t.co/JBmWsU5gvS pic.twitter.com/W3c6JoNYpM
But that wasn’t the only major development. Just hours before the WWE announcement, ESPN also revealed it had secured broadcast rights to the NFL Network’s programming—a significant boost to its football portfolio.
“This is an exciting day for sports fans,” said ESPN Chairman James Pitaro. “By combining the media assets of the NFL with the reach and innovation of ESPN, we are creating a world-class destination for football fans.”
In July 2024, Disney and ESPN renewed their media rights deals with both the NBA and WNBA, extending their contracts for 11 years through the 2035–36 seasons. The move further solidified Disney’s status as the primary broadcast partner for the NBA.
Disney currently owns 80% of ESPN, with the remaining 20% held by Hearst Communications. ESPN is led by James Pitaro, who has served as president since February 2023.
Netflix NFL Christmas Gameday was a record-breaking day, reaching 65 million US viewers according to Nielsen!
— Netflix (@netflix) December 26, 2024
With an average of more than 24 million people watching each game, Chiefs-Steelers and Ravens-Texans are now the top two most streamed NFL games in US history.… pic.twitter.com/m3CVRv41sq
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