Tag: peacock

Peacock reveals premiere date for Shawn Michaels WWE documentary

Posted on by Joseph Currier

A new WWE documentary is coming to Peacock in time for WrestleMania season.

It was announced today that “The Heartbreak Kid: Becoming Shawn Michaels” will be available to stream on Peacock starting on Monday, April 13. Touted as “one of the most improbable redemption stories in WWE history,” the documentary will cover Michaels’ career, his battle with addiction issues, and his new WWE role as the boss of NXT.

Here is the full synopsis:

  • ‘The Heartbreak Kid: Becoming Shawn Michaels,’ Peacock’s latest original documentary in partnership with WWE features exclusive behind-the-scenes access with one of the greatest performers of all time and chronicles the career of the WWE Hall of Famer. This intimate look at Michaels spotlights his incredible ability and the personal struggles that led to one of the most improbable redemption stories in WWE history. Viewers will be taken on a journey through his life while also getting an inside look at Michaels’ role as the head of WWE’s developmental brand NXT.

Though WWE’s presence on Peacock has largely dwindled, the two sides are still partners with Peacock airing Saturday Night’s Main Event. It previously hosted the WWE PLE library before that moved to Netflix. NXT content has also left Peacock, with this Saturday’s Stand & Deliver PLE set to air live on YouTube.

Michaels job title in WWE is Senior Vice President of Talent Development, Creative. He has led NXT behind the scenes since 2021 after already having served as a coach for the brand.

Interviews with Michaels, Paul “Triple H” Levesque, Bret Hart, Kevin Nash, and The Undertaker are included in the trailer. Michaels’ daughter was also interviewed for the project.

WWE archival content set to leave Peacock

Posted on by Ian Carey

A significant amount of WWE content is set to leave Peacock shortly.

At the beginning of the month, WWE archival content on the streaming service began being marked with a countdown showing the number of days remaining before January 1, 2026. This includes WCW, ECW, and libraries from the territorial era.

“Today is the last day for a ton of WWE stuff on Peacock,” our own Bryan Alvarez wrote to his subscribers on X.

Mark Shapiro addressed the future of WWE archival content during an interview earlier this month. He noted that WWE plans to announce a non-exclusive deal for the content in the first quarter of 2026. A Fightful Select report later stated the belief is the content will be slowly rolled out onto WWE’s YouTube channels, including WWE Vault and the WCW channel.

Regarding potential options for ECW content in 2026, an article from The Verge in April noted there were plans for an ECW channel similar to what is already available for WCW, though no official announcement has been made.

TKO exec speaks on WWE’s future with NBC Universal

Posted on by Josh Nason

If TKO head Mark Shapiro has his way, WWE will remain on NBCUniversal for as long as the broadcaster wants them to.

As part of the media rounds ahead of Saturday’s WWE kickoff on the ESPN networks/streaming platform, Shapiro spoke to Puck’s John Ourand on his Varsity podcast.

In talking about the UFC media rights deal, Shapiro was discussing the benefits of having various TV partners. WWE then came up and in talking about ESPN and Netflix, he brought up Comcast (aka NBC Universal and said, “We’re not going to leave (NBCUniversal) as long as they want to be with us.”

The relationship between WWE and NBCU notably changed last month, bringing WWE PLEs to ESPN seven months earlier than contractually expected. Archive content will remain on the Peacock platform through the end of 2025 while NXT PLEs will remain through March 2026 as of now.

The changes also saw an adjustment to their Saturday Night’s Main Event broadcasts with the quarterly specials now airing exclusively on Peacock with SmackDown episodes available on the streamer 30 days after they initially air on USA.

During August’s Clash in Paris PLE, Michael Cole thanked Peacock to which NBC Sports president Rick Cordella replied with his own thanks to the WWE team for taking “a chance” with Peacock.

Following the official expiration of their initial Peacock deal this March, WWE’s lone remaining deal with NBCU expires in October 2029. SmackDown did initially begin airing on USA several weeks earlier than expected (September 13) and it’s unclear if the contract date changed with that move.

WWE thanks Peacock during Clash in Paris as PLEs move to ESPN

Posted on by Bryan Rose

WWE took time to thank Peacock as they move their PLEs to ESPN.

Sunday’s Clash in Paris marked the final WWE PLE streaming live on the service as next month all of WWE’s premium live events will be broadcast on ESPN’s new streaming platform. Michael Cole on commentary took time to thank Peacock prior to the main event of the show.

“We want to thank all of our friends over at Peacock for what has been an incredible five years including Rick Cordella. Rick has always been there for everyone in WWE. It’s been a tremendous partnership and again, hats off to Peacock,” Cole said.

WWE announced earlier this month that their new deal with ESPN would be starting earlier than expected with a new PLE titled Wrestlepalooza on September 20. That show will air not only on ESPN’s streaming service but also on cable. It will go head-to-head with AEW’s All Out pay-per-view.

Cole reiterated that NXT PLEs will remain on Peacock, with No Mercy airing on September 27. In addition, episodes of Saturday Night’s Main Event will also stream exclusively on Peacock, leaving NBC.

Anticipated location reported for next WWE Saturday Night’s Main Event

Posted on by Josh Nason

The first WWE Saturday Night’s Main Event of the Peacock-exclusive era reportedly has a location.

WrestleVotes Radio reported Thursday that Salt Lake City, Utah’s Delta Center is the planned spot for the Saturday, November 1st SNME. Additionally, the outlet reported that a Halloween-themed edition of SmackDown will emanate from the same venue the night before.

This is the latest development in a 24-hour block that has seen the relationship between WWE and Peacock change rapidly:

  • Announced on Wednesday, WWE PLEs will no longer air on Peacock following this month’s Clash in Paris as they will move to ESPN beginning in September — a change-up from the previously announced April 2026 launch.
  • All SNME quarterly specials will air exclusively on Peacock and will no longer be simulcast on NBC. This year will see five overall specials with the addition of November 1st and the previously planned Saturday, December 13th event.
  • The WWE archive will remain on Peacock through the end of 2025 with NXT PLEs remaining on the service through March 2026.
  • SmackDown replays will remain on Peacock for 30 days after its initial airdate on USA Network.

Subscriber exclusive: Dave Meltzer on WWE PLEs leaving Peacock and moving to ESPN imminently

Posted on by Bryan Rose

Dave Meltzer has a new article on WWE moving their premium live events to ESPN starting next month and what this means for the rest of their content on Peacock including the future of Saturday Night’s Main Event and WWE’s archives.

Subscribers can read this article here.

WWE show to air on Peacock exclusively as part of new multi-year deal

Posted on by Josh Nason

This story has been updated.

Starting in November, WWE’s quarterly Saturday Night’s Main Event specials will air on Peacock exclusively as part of a new multi-year deal between WWE and NBCU/Peacock.

Sports Illustrated’s Jimmy Traina first reported part of the news Wednesday, also noting WWE’s archive content will remain on the streaming service through the end of 2025 and “I would be shocked if it didn’t end up on ESPN after that.”

SportsBusinessJournal also reported on the story, noting that the exclusives begin with the next SNME on November 1st and “then one featuring John Cena’s retirement match on Dec. 13.” It had been previously speculated that Cena’s final match would air on an SNME opposite AEW Worlds End on Saturday, December 27th.

Revived in December 2024, the quarterly specials had also simulcast on NBC as part of a five-year deal that saw SmackDown return to USA Network on Friday nights. According to SBJ, the new arrangement will see SmackDown remain on Peacock on a 30-day delay.

The deal comes in the wake of a flurry of activity on Wednesday as it was announced that WWE PLEs will move to ESPN starting with September’s new Wrestlepalooza PLE instead of this April as originally planned. The final PLE on Peacock will be this month’s Clash in Paris.

WWE and Peacock’s contract was set to expire in March 2026 in a deal that included the PLEs, the archive content, and additional first-run content.

Key details emerge on WWE/Peacock/ESPN arrangement, new main roster show

Posted on by Josh Nason

While it was a bit of a surprise to see WWE’s premium live event deal with Peacock end seven months before it was contractually supposed to, new details out Wednesday illuminate some of the thinking behind the new arrangement: more WWE content.

Announced Thursday, ESPN will take over as the domestic home for PLEs starting with September’s freshly-announced Wrestlepalooza instead of with this April’s WrestleMania 42 as had been the contractual plan.

The thinking, as our Bryan Alvarez had previously reported, was that WWE believed they had honored their commitment of PLEs to the NBCU-owned streaming service with the additional night of WrestleMania, the additional night of SummerSlam, and then this year’s Evolution.

According to the Hollywood Reporter, ESPN did not buy out the seven months. Rather, a deal was brokered first between WWE and Peacock and then brought to ESPN. ESPN is launching their new streaming service on Thursday with this news being a big part of their launch day and WWE a key part of the early success of the service.

The outlet reported that WWE personnel is currently in Indianapolis, Indiana, where Wrestlepalooza will take place to mark the occasion Thursday.

So what does Peacock get out of this? The outlet reported that the deal between they and WWE will “include new main-roster WWE programming to stream on the NBCUniversal digital platform; details of that programming are expected to be announced soon.”

WWE’s final PLE on Peacock will be next weekend’s Clash in Paris. October’s Crown Jewel and November’s Survivor Series will air on ESPN.

At this point, NXT PLEs will continue to air on Peacock through March 2026. With WWE moving their PLEs to ESPN, the NXT special events do not have an announced home after that date. The future of the WWE archives currently on Peacock is also unknown after March 2026.

WOL: Filthy Tom, WWE/ESPN/Peacock, NXT TV, more!

Posted on by Bryan Alvarez

Wrestling Observer Live with Bryan Alvarez and Lance Storm is back with tons to talk about including an update on Filthy Tom, the latest on the WWE/Peacock/ESPN deals, when the last Peacock PLE will be, Takeshita and the G-1, the NXT TV report and tons more. A fun show as always so check it out~!

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WWE & Peacock announce ‘WrestleMania IX: Becoming a Spectacle’ documentary

Posted on by Joseph Currier

Before WrestleMania returns to Las Vegas, WWE is taking a look back at the first time Sin City hosted the event.

It was announced today that a new documentary focused on WrestleMania IX will debut exclusively on Peacock on Friday, April 11. Titled “WrestleMania IX: Becoming a Spectacle,” the documentary features behind-the-scenes footage from the 1993 event.

The trailer for the documentary can be seen below. It includes interviews with Hulk Hogan, Bret Hart, The Undertaker, Bruce Prichard, Sam Roberts, and former WWE executive Basil DeVito.

With extravagant toga party theming, Caesars Palace played host to WrestleMania IX. The theme was a highlight, but the show is probably most remembered for its underwhelming card and controversial finish. Instead of Hart winning the WWF Championship from Yokozuna, Hogan — who had recently returned to the company after a year away — defeated Yokozuna for the belt in an impromptu main event. That controversy is one of the focuses of this documentary.

Las Vegas will host WrestleMania for the second time when WrestleMania 41 is held at Allegiant Stadium later this month (Saturday, April 19 and Sunday, April 20).

WWE Saturday Night’s Main Event notes: Audio issues, HBK superkicks Owens, other legends appear

Posted on by Bryan Rose

Notes from WWE’s Saturday Night’s Main Event.

The start of SNME in San Antonio didn’t go smoothly. On the NBC feed, the show kicked off with simultaneous audio both in English and Spanish. This continued for several minutes until just before the start of the opening match, where Rhea Ripley successfully defended the Women’s World Championship against Nia Jax.

Much like the previous episode of SNME the show focused on a retro theme. Former WWE stars Ted DiBiase, Mark Henry, Dory Funk Jr., Hacksaw Jim Duggan, Arn Anderson & Tully Blanchard, and Alundra Blayze were shown in the crowd.

WWE Hall of Famer and head of NXT Shawn Michaels appeared in his hometown to mediate the contract signing between Kevin Owens and Cody Rhodes ahead of their ladder match at next weekend’s Royal Rumble premium live event. As Owens lamented about his struggles in WWE and with Cody Rhodes, Michaels said that he thought Owens was jealous. The situation eventually led to a confrontation that saw Owens strike Cody then attack HBK, setting him up for the package piledriver. Cody quickly broke things up as HBK quickly recovered and took out Owens with a superkick to end the segment.

Two new WWE Saturday Night’s Main Event dates advertised

Posted on by Joseph Currier

Though they have not been confirmed by WWE yet, a couple of new Saturday Night’s Main Event dates may have been revealed.

Peacock’s WWE schedule lists that there will be Saturday Night’s Main Event shows on May 24 and July 12. Those would be the third and fourth episodes to take place since Saturday Night’s Main Event returned in December 2024. The show is back as a quarterly special with episodes airing live on both NBC and Peacock.

Locations for these two events have not been announced.

If Saturday Night’s Main Event does take place on July 12, it would be happening on the same day as AEW All In 2025, which is being held at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas.

The May 24 date is the Saturday of Memorial Day weekend.

Saturday Night’s Main Event is a classic WWE series that originated in the 1980s. It briefly returned in the 2000s and is now back for a third run. Long Island, New York was the location for December’s return episode.

Up next is an SNME episode from San Antonio on January 25. That’s happening just one week before Indianapolis hosts Royal Rumble 2025.

WWE Network sets shutdown date as Netflix launch nears

Posted on by Josh Nason

For the majority of international viewers, WWE Network will officially be closed for business on January 1st, 2025, as WWE kicks off their multi-year deal with Netflix.

In an email sent to affected Network subscribers Friday, WWE confirmed the date along with a phrase that has some fans concerned when it comes to archive content.

As previously reported, weekly episodes of Raw, SmackDown & NXT will be available for international Netflix subscribers as well as premium live events. When it comes to the archives, the notice stated “Many of WWE’s top moments, along with historic PLEs and select programming, will be available on Netflix beginning January 1.”

With WWE owning the complete libraries of WCW and ECW in addition to Mid-South Wrestling, AWA, Smoky Mountain Wrestling, WCCW, and plenty of other defunct organizations, the exact availability of that content, in addition to older WWE content, is unknown.

When any remaining international WWE Network deals expire, those regions will also need to view WWE content on Netflix.

For the U.S. audience, Netflix will offer Raw and anticipated shoulder programming starting in January with any PLEs and archive content remaining on Peacock as their contract lasts until 2026.

WWE Network was first launched in February 2014.

Here’s the notice that was sent out:

“On January 1, 2025, WWE Network will no longer be available in your area. After January 1, Netflix will be the new exclusive home of WWE.

Netflix will bring WWE’s electrifying content all to one place, including weekly shows, Monday Night RAW, SmackDown and NXT, PLUS Premium Live Events (PLEs) such as WrestleMania, Royal Rumble, and SummerSlam.

Many of WWE’s top moments, along with historic PLEs and select programming, will be available on Netflix beginning January 1.

The premiere live episode of Monday Night RAW on Netflix airing on January 6 will feature some of the biggest names in WWE such as John Cena, Undisputed WWE Champion “The American Nightmare” Cody Rhodes, Roman Reigns, CM Punk, Bianca Belair, in addition to many other Superstars and guests including Travis Scott.

If you are already a Netflix subscriber, you’re all set. If you are not a Netflix subscriber, you will need to subscribe so you don’t miss a moment. We can’t wait for you to experience WWE on Netflix this January.

Sincerely,
WWE Network Support“

WWE Saturday Night’s Main Event returning this December, will air on NBC & Peacock

Posted on by Joseph Currier

WWE has officially confirmed the return of Saturday Night’s Main Event.

Airing live on both NBC and Peacock, Saturday Night’s Main Event will make its return on December 14. The special is taking place from the Nassau Coliseum in Long Island, New York with a start time of 8 p.m. Eastern. No matches have been announced yet.

Cody Rhodes, Roman Reigns, Liv Morgan, Bianca Belair, and Seth Rollins are included on WWE’s graphic for the show.

Nassau Coliseum also hosted the first-ever Saturday Night’s Main Event in 1985, which featured Hulk Hogan facing off against Bob Orton. The show’s original run lasted from 1985-1992 before making a brief return from 2006-2008.

Saturday Night’s Main Event is now back as a quarterly special as part of WWE and NBCUniversal’s new five-year deal for SmackDown. SmackDown returned to USA Network last Friday after completing its run on Fox.

Tickets for the December 14 Saturday Night’s Main Event are going on sale to the general public this Friday (September 20). A pre-sale will begin on Thursday (September 19).

WWE has released a retro-style video promoting the show:

WWE Hall of Famer Nikki Bella cast on ‘The Traitors’ reality show

Posted on by Joseph Currier

WWE Hall of Famer Nikki Garcia (Nikki Bella) is set to be featured on one of reality television’s hottest shows.

On Wednesday, it was revealed that Garcia is among the cast members for season three of “The Traitors,” a murder mystery-inspired reality series that airs on Peacock. The new season is listed as coming soon, but a premiere date has not been announced.

“The Traitors” is hosted by actor Alan Cumming and is filmed at a castle in Scotland. A group of cast members are designated as Traitors and must work to eliminate everyone else from the show. The rest are designated as Faithfuls and need to figure out who the Traitors are. Contestants are competing for a maximum grand prize of $250,000. They are also paid for being on the show.

Other members of the season three cast include “Survivor” winners Rob Mariano, Tony Vlachos & Jeremy Collins, “Big Brother” legends Danielle Reyes & Britney Haynes, and Tom Sandoval from “Vanderpump Rules.” There are 21 contestants in total.

Garcia and her twin sister Brie were inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame as part of the 2020 class. In March 2023, Nikki & Brie announced that they were no longer with WWE and would be going by Nikki Garcia & Brie Garcia going forward. The sisters host a podcast together.

The last time Nikki & Brie competed in the ring was as entrants in the 2022 women’s Royal Rumble. They haven’t ruled out returning in the future, though they don’t know which promotion they would wrestle for. Nikki has said that, if she does wrestle again, it would be when her son Matteo gets older.