A little less than a month ago, WWE announced they’d licensed their entire streaming Network to NBCUniversal’s new Peacock service.
The press release was long on hype and short on details. The move would include Mar. 21’s Fastlane PPV and April’s WrestleMania 37, and most of us assumed that meant the switch over would happen before those shows. But a closer reading of the official announcement reveals the partners only ever promised the rollout of WWE Network content on Peacock would begin on Mar. 18. And sure enough, when Fastlane was being promoted during Elimination Chamber last night (Feb. 21), WWE specified it would be available on both streaming outlets:
See you on the final stop on the Road to @WrestleMania at #WWEFastlane, streaming LIVE Sunday, March 21 at 7E/4P on @peacockTV and @WWENetwork! pic.twitter.com/PDrbuf1HBY
— WWE Network (@WWENetwork) February 22, 2021
NBCUniversal likely wants to the switch to happen as quickly as possible to boost their subscriber numbers. But given we still haven’t heard anything about how WWE Network will be ported over to Peacock, it’s for the best if they take their time. Current promotion claims WrestleMania 37 will be “exclusive” to Peacock, but offering on both might also be a good idea. If wrestling fans have trouble accessing a show as major as WrestleMania, they won’t be quiet about it. In an increasingly crowded streaming marketplace, Peacock can’t afford bad press about how their service stinks. Especially when there are already concerns about limited functionality on the newer platform.
We’ll see how things go, and what the reception is, when the transition starts next month.