Discovery does deal with WWE in Italy

Discovery has announced a new partnership with World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) in Italy.

From July 1, the deal will see the pro-wrestling outfit’s weekly flagship programming available exclusively on OTT streamer DPlay PLUS and on linear channel DMAX – the latter of which is also Discovery’s home of rugby and esports coverage.

The two main shows – Monday Night Raw and Friday Night Smackdown – will be shown on DPlay Plus with US commentary and on DMAX with Italian commentary.

Discovery was quick to note that this will not impact on the pricing of Dplay PLUS, which remains unchanged at €3.99 per month. The streamer will also play host to a number of other highlights programmes.

The deal does not cover WWE’s monthly pay per view events, which will continue to stream exclusively on its own WWE Network.

Stefan Kastenmüller, WWE senior vice president and group general manager, said: “We are thrilled to embark on a new chapter for WWE in Italy as we bring our unique blend of action-packed, family-friendly sports entertainment to Discovery’s free-to-air and premium channels. We are excited that our relationship with Discovery is enhancing the fan experience in Italy with both primetime and family-friendly timeslots.”

Alessandro Araimo, managing director of Discovery Italy, said: “We are pleased to announce this agreement with WWE, which is of strategic importance for our group, and will allow us to offer our audience a unique and innovative content proposition: premium content on Dplay PLUS at a very competitive price and WWE highlights on free-to-air on DMAX. WWE has conquered a very wide audience and we are confident that our channels and platforms can help to further expand the very large Italian fanbase.”