WWE and Disney are in talks about “special events” for 2027, according to TKO President and COO Mark Shapiro, who described the two companies working together on something built around the audience they share: families.
This is exactly the kind of crossover we wondered about when the original ESPN and WWE rights deal was first announced. In our original coverage of that agreement, we specifically asked whether WWE might eventually find its way into Disney Parks, especially ESPN Wide World of Sports at Walt Disney World. A year later, that question doesn’t look far-fetched anymore.
Shapiro shared the news Tuesday during the Goldman Sachs Communacopia + Technology Conference while discussing WWE’s sponsorship and advertising revenue, which he said is on track to finish roughly 20% higher than last year despite a year-over-year dip tied partly to WWE’s expanded international event schedule. Explaining why he’s optimistic about where things are headed, Shapiro said, “When it comes to going after families, that’s our audience.” He went on to describe genuine excitement about 2027, pointing to ongoing work with the Walt Disney Company on special events built around Disney and WWE bringing their audiences together around a shared focus on family entertainment.
No format or specific event details have been confirmed. What has been confirmed is that the WWE and Disney relationship keeps deepening well beyond the original media rights deal. WWE and ESPN are now in year two of their five-year domestic rights agreement, with WWE Premium Live Events airing exclusively on ESPN Unlimited in the U.S., a partnership we’ve followed closely since WrestleMania 42 became the first event under the new deal. Shapiro also said he expects Premium Live Event viewership to improve now that YouTube TV subscribers can access ESPN Unlimited through their existing subscription.
We floated the Wide World of Sports connection as speculation last year, and it’s still speculation now, Disney and WWE haven’t said anything about parks involvement specifically. But WWE and ESPN Wide World of Sports already share a home at Walt Disney World in a general sense, and if these “special events” end up being anything more than a co-branded ad campaign, that venue is the most obvious place for WWE and Disney to actually put fans in the same room together.
WWE and Disney Discussing Special Events for 2027 TKO’s Mark Shapiro Confirms
