TKO President Mark Shapiro: WWE Eager to Renew Peacock Agreement

TKO Group President Mark Shapiro recently shared insights at the Morgan Stanley Technology, Media & Telecom Conference, covering various topics within the TKO portfolio. One highlight was the upcoming renewal discussions between WWE and Peacock, as their partnership agreement is set to expire in 2026.

According to Shapiro, both parties are eager to continue their collaboration in carrying pay-per-view events on Peacock. The renewal talks are expected to kick off in the next quarter, with negotiations starting soon.

The existing deal between WWE and Peacock, which began in March 2021, has seen all WWE Premium Live Events (PLEs) distributed through the platform for U.S. subscribers. Additionally, WWE recently inked a significant 10-year, $5 billion agreement with Netflix. This deal designates Netflix as the exclusive new home of Raw in the U.S., Canada, U.K., and Latin America, with plans to expand to more regions over time. Netflix subscribers outside the U.S. will also gain access to a selection of WWE shows, specials, and Premium Live Events like WrestleMania and SummerSlam.

Shapiro praised Peacock as a valuable partner, emphasizing their positive impact on platform growth and retention. He expressed enthusiasm about the prospect of renewing the agreement with Peacock, given their commitment to the partnership.

Looking ahead, Shapiro hinted at the possibility of consolidating a subset of PLEs on a single platform, depending on market dynamics. The early success of WWE content on Netflix was highlighted, citing a 13% viewership increase for Raw compared to its performance on USA Network.

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