WWE has agreed to a new multi-year global partnership deal with Bleacher Report, which has naturally sparked discussion in the wrestling world, as Bleacher Report is currently owned by AEW’s broadcast partner Warner Brothers Discovery.
According to a press release issued on September 28th, Bleacher Report will have global highlight rights to all official WWE programming. This includes the company’s three weekly shows – WWE Raw, WWE SmackDown and WWE NXT – as well as all Premium Live Events, with WWE Money In The Bank on October 10 being the first PLE to have its highlights spread across Bleacher Report, B/R Wrestling and House of Highlights.
In addition to the weekly highlights, a press release confirmed that Bleacher Report will also have in-ring presence at select WWE PLEs. This will give fans access to exclusive content across Bleacher Report platforms, as well as talent-based content and behind-the-scenes footage.
Bleacher Report general manager Bennett Spector said of the agreement. “This partnership allows us to bring fans closer to today’s biggest moments while tapping into the incredible history and personalities that have made WWE a part of sports culture for generations.”
WWE Executive Vice President Alex Varga also commented on the deal. Bleacher Report has long been at the intersection of sports and culture. Our partnership with B/R reinforces WWE’s commitment to bringing our content to a global audience.”
Bleacher Report already has a large portfolio of deals and contracts with a number of top sports brands such as the NFL, NHL, NBA, MLB and NCAA. Adding WWE to its portfolio is a way to expand sports culture while focusing on brands and leagues that generate buzz on a weekly basis, a category that WWE belongs to because WWE Superstars does not have an official offseason.