A recent report suggests that WWE is considering a partnership with Google to host its extensive video library on YouTube once the company’s current deal with Peacock expires. According to sources cited by Fightful Select, this move is seen internally as a strategy to attract new fans while maintaining the flexibility to accept a significant third-party offer for the archival rights if one emerges.
The report notes that WWE’s entire library, from episodes of Raw to older content like Shotgun Saturday Night, is already digitized for copyright tracking. This backend infrastructure would allow the company to pivot its distribution strategy efficiently when its licensing agreement with Peacock concludes.
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This development comes after WWE announced a five-year, $1.625 billion deal with ESPN, which will make the ESPN+ streaming service the exclusive U.S. home for all Premium Live Events, such as WrestleMania and Royal Rumble, starting in 2026. However, that landmark agreement does not include the rights to WWE’s historical video content.
The current rights to the more than 100,000-hour archive are held by Peacock, with that contract set to expire in March 2026. ESPN Chairman Jimmy Pitaro has publicly stated the company’s interest in acquiring the library rights once they become available.
The future distribution of WWE’s content will be spread across multiple platforms. While Premium Live Events will move to ESPN+, Monday Night Raw is scheduled to begin airing on Netflix in 2026, and Friday Night SmackDown will remain on the USA Network.
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