ESPN Content President Talks Potential Role as WWE Distributor – ESPN President of Content, Burke Magnus, recently participated in an interview on the Sports Media program with Richard Deitsch. The conversation covered a variety of topics related to the sports world, including the possibility of ESPN becoming a distributor for WWE content.
Burke Magnus initiated the discussion by explaining that ESPN had previously made a decision to forego serving as a platform for WWE events. However, he also expressed that he believes a potential collaboration between ESPN and WWE could be feasible. He noted that there is a shared fan base between WWE fans and ESPN viewers, indicating that there is an overlap in their respective audiences.
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.
Magnus further delves into the dynamics of potentially collaborating with WWE. He addresses the challenge posed by WWE’s year-round schedule, which encompasses 52 weeks a year of programming. Magnus highlights that this extensive and consistent schedule could present logistical difficulties for ESPN, particularly in terms of scheduling and distribution.
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.
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ESPN Content President Talks Potential Role as WWE Distributor
