ESPN President Of Content Burke Magnus recently appeared on the Sports Media program with Richard Deitsch, where he spoke on a number of topics surrounding the world of sports, including his thoughts on ESPN potentially being a distributor for WWE.
Burke begins by saying that ESPN decided years ago to pass on being an outlet for WWE events, but does think that a deal between the two sides could be worked out as their fans and ESPN viewers do overlap.
I’d say I believe our companies — and this changed a couple of years ago so this is not breaking news but I believe our point of view towards WWE as a potential distribution outlet for their events, I think we passed that a long time ago and I think we’re now in the bucket of, hey, if their rights are available and there’s a deal for us that works and a deal for them that works with us, I think it’s certainly a possibility. There’s no hesitation anymore from a brand perspective or from a live event versus scripted. Their fans and our viewers, there’s tremendous overlap so, to me, it’s just about the business of it and is there something that works.
He later discusses the optics of working with WWE and how their 52-week-a-year business would make it nearly impossible for ESPN because it would bleed into the rights of other leagues that they are already distributing.
I may have said this to you last time we talked but, to their credit, they run a 52-week-a-year business, right?… And I’m thinking, well, let me start from the linear perspective. 52 weeks a year is impossible for us to do on almost any configuration based on the other rights that we have. So that actually cuts against us from a linear perspective but on the digital side, if we were to be in business with them on a streaming or direct-to-consumer or distribution or a pay-per-view distribution or other such thing, I think that’s more easily achievable and they have a great product… Well I’m not (talking to WWE). So, I’ll just leave it at that.
WWE is currently broadcast on USA and FOX in the United States, with its library and live premium live events taking place on the Peacock app.
(H/T and transcribed by Post Wrestling)