TKO executive Mark Shapiro is looking forward to the day when ESPN Unlimited will provide subscribers with free access to WWE Premium Live Events.
WWE PLEs moved to ESPN Unlimited as part of their multibillion-dollar deal back in September, with WrestlePalooza becoming the first show to air on the streaming platform.
Speaking at the annual Morgan Stanley Technology, Media & Telecom Conference, Shapiro touted the success of WWE’s move to Peacock when asked how ESPN’s relationship with the sports entertainment juggernaut could impact its popularity and reach.
“(Moving to Peacock) was a total success. We play the long game with WWE and we’re doing the same with ESPN,” Mark Shapiro said.
Referring to ESPN Unlimited as a “phenomenal package if you’re a sports fan,” the TKO executive expressed excitement about WWE’s future once Comcast, YouTube, and Dish allow their subscribers to authenticate and access the service at no additional cost.
“That is (the $29.99 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 said. [H/T F4Wonline.com]
Shapiro’s comments come after WWE announced that ESPN will carry the first hour of WrestleMania 42, while the remainder of the PLE will stream on ESPN Unlimited in the U.S. and on Netflix for international viewers.
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