Update: NBCU has confirmed to Cord Cutters News that not all WWE content will be removed from the platform at the end of this month. Some content will remain on Peacock and more content will be added.
Update: NBCU has confirmed to Cord Cutters News that its full event replays of WWE Saturday Night’s Main Event will be on Peacock through 2029. This is in line with what we reported earlier this year.
Peacock is preparing to bid farewell to a substantial chunk of its WWE catalog at the end of December 2025 this comes as ESPN is taking over some of WWE’s streaming. The move, tied to the expiration of a long-standing licensing agreement, will see thousands of hours of historical footage vanish from the platform, leaving subscribers scrambling to catch up on their favorite throwback matches before time runs out. Yet amid the uncertainty, a silver lining emerges: many of the sport’s marquee events and flagship programs show no signs of departure with no warnings on them, ensuring that Peacock remains a vital hub for WWE’s modern and iconic content. It is important to note that these shows could still leave this month. Peacock does not always give warnings about shows leaving as first reported by PWinsider.
The changes stem from the conclusion of WWE’s five-year partnership with NBCUniversal, which launched Peacock as the exclusive U.S. streaming home for the company’s vast archives back in 2021. What began as a comprehensive deal encompassing pay-per-views, weekly episodes, and deep dives into wrestling’s territorial past is now undergoing a phased wind-down. Starting December 31, 2025, just 26 days from now, viewers will notice some titles removed from the platform. This includes entire swaths of the WWE Library collection, such as WCW programming, and some shows.
Notably absent from any removal warnings are a few of the crown jewels of WWE’s calendar: WrestleMania, the annual spectacle that defines the company’s global dominance, and Royal Rumble, the over-the-top-rope battle royal that launches Superstar dream matches. These tentpole events, with their rosters of legendary clashes and record-breaking moments, continue to stream without interruption, a testament to Peacock’s ongoing commitment to WWE’s premium live events under a revised multi-year accord. Similarly, Friday Night SmackDown—the blue-brand powerhouse that has evolved into a cornerstone of weekly storytelling—shows no expiration flags, allowing subscribers to relive high-stakes feuds and title defenses at their leisure.
This pattern extends beyond the big three. Compilations like Best of WWE, which curate highlight reels from across eras, and tournament specials such as King of the Ring, with its bracket-busting drama, remain untouched on the service. Even as the library thins, these staples underscore Peacock’s strategy to prioritize accessible, high-engagement fare over exhaustive historical dumps. The retention of Saturday Night’s Main Event, now bolstered by a fresh extension deal, further cements the platform’s role as a live-event anchor, blending nostalgia with contemporary buzz.
WWE Library’s breadth has long been Peacock’s secret weapon, transforming the service into a virtual time machine for grappling with the sport’s seismic shifts, from Hulk Hogan’s golden age to the Attitude Era’s edge-of-your-seat anarchy. Losing access to WCW’s Nitro episodes or ECW’s bare-knuckle brawls means piecing together personal highlight collections before the digital guillotine falls. Some speculate that displaced content could migrate to international heavyweights like Netflix, which already claims Monday Night Raw’s library and future live episodes, or even ESPN’s app, fresh off snagging WWE’s premium live events earlier this year. However, no official announcements have surfaced, leaving a void that could frustrate casual rewinders and archival obsessives in equal measure.
Peacock’s partial retention strategy also reflects broader industry currents. As WWE navigates its post-TKO merger landscape, streaming rights have become a high-stakes chess game, with platforms jockeying for exclusive slices of the pie. The early exit of library material—months ahead of the original 2026 timeline—mirrors recent pivots, such as NXT’s shift to The CW and Raw’s full embrace by Netflix. Yet by safeguarding WrestleMania’s grandeur, Royal Rumble’s unpredictability, and SmackDown’s narrative pulse, Peacock signals its intent to evolve rather than evaporate from the WWE ecosystem. Subscribers, already accustomed to countdown clocks on departing titles, now face a triage: binge the obscure relics while savoring the immortals that endure.
As December unfolds, the wrestling world will see the collection get pared down. This isn’t a total blackout but the beginning of wrestling’s shift away from Peacock and over to ESPN. For now, the ring remains lit under Peacock’s banner, where the echoes of suplexes and signature finishers will continue to reverberate for the faithful. Whether the lost library resurfaces elsewhere or fades into wrestling lore, one thing is clear: WWE’s storytelling machine rolls on, undeterred by the shifting sands of streaming.
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