WWE’s move to ESPN Unlimited hasn’t 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 hasn’t been fully authenticated for subscribers of several major TV providers, meaning some fans must pay $29.99 per month without cable authentication. Shapiro didn’t dodge that reality.
“That is (the .99 monthly cost without authenticating), I believe, is somewhat prohibitive, especially in today’s economy and the struggles that certainly middle income and low income earners are having with affordability. They have to get those deals done. Until they do, that will affect our audience.”
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.
“Moving to Peacock was a total success. We play the long game with WWE and we’re doing the same with ESPN.”
When it came to actual performance, Shapiro revealed that this past weekend’s Elimination Chamber event drew a larger audience than September’s Wrestlepalooza — even though ESPN has not publicly released viewership numbers.
“We saw a significant increase in audience from the first event, which was Wrestlepalooza. They’re already making strides. Are they where Netflix was and where Peacock was? Not yet, but I’m super encouraged by the numbers Nick Khan was sending me by the hour this past weekend.”
That hourly tracking suggests TKO leadership is closely monitoring the platform’s 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, WWE’s focus remains on expanding ESPN Unlimited’s 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 WWE’s 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 you’re watching WWE PLEs right now.