ESPN and WWE Celebrate New Partnership With ‘WrestleMania 42’
ESPN and WWE took center stage last weekend as WrestleMania 42 came to Allegiant Stadium.
The two-night spectacle featured several high-profile matchups, including main events such as Cody Rhodes vs. Randy Orton and Roman Reigns vs. CM Punk.
(Photo by WWE/Getty Images)
While WrestleMania 42 delivered major moments inside the ring, ESPN and WWE were also launching a new era behind the scenes.
The New Partners
The partnership, which integrates WWE content across ESPN’s ecosystem, officially kicked off last year with Wrestlepalooza.
Photo: ESPN
WrestleMania, however, provided the biggest opportunity yet to showcase the collaboration.
Meeting Fans Where They Are
To reach a broad audience, ESPN distributed WrestleMania across both linear television and streaming.
Photo: WWE
On Saturday, the first hour aired on ESPN, while Sunday’s showcase was also broadcast on the network.
The full event was available on ESPN’s direct-to-consumer streaming service.
Photo: espn.com.au/wwe/
In the lead-up to WrestleMania, ESPN also featured WWE content across multiple platforms.
“We’re celebrating WrestleMania by bringing every aspect of the event to life across all of our platforms in the weeks leading up to WrestleMania 42,” said Meghan Burgoon, Senior Director of Content Integration at ESPN.
Photo: WWE
“Our content is designed to build anticipation and create real ‘FOMO’ around WrestleMania. WWE Superstars will appear across ESPN programming, and we’ll spotlight celebrity and athlete superfans making the trip to Las Vegas. You may even see some of our own ESPN talent testing whether they have what it takes to step into the ring.”
Reaching Fans Old and New
As the Worldwide Leader in Sports, ESPN is uniquely positioned to present WrestleMania to dedicated fans, while also making the event accessible to newcomers.
Striking that balance is central to the network’s approach.
Source: comicbook.com
“This balance is at the heart of what ESPN does best. Our role is to engage core fans while also introducing WWE to new audiences and helping grow the fandom. Everyone starts somewhere,” Burgoon explained.
ESPN WWE
“We’re delivering content for every level of engagement, from dedicated shows like No-Contest Wrestling and event preview programming for longtime fans, to integrations on SportsCenter and social-first content that introduce the spectacle and personalities of WWE to casual viewers.”
ESPN’s Mission Continues
As ESPN continues to expand its reach, its mission remains the same.
“We are in the business of bringing to life the biggest moments in sports and entertainment, and there is nothing bigger than WrestleMania,” Burgoon said.
“We have a commitment to fans to deliver the star power, storytelling, and excitement of this global event across all of our programming. Bringing the ‘Grandest Stage of Them All’ to ESPN is a natural fit.”
Photo: MickeyBlog
