Big WWE deal has come to an end

Martyn Best, owner of PROGRESS Wrestling, recently disclosed that the company's streaming deal with WWE has come to an end.

Established in 2011, Progress Wrestling has showcased some of the finest talents in the world of wrestling, including notable names like Gunther, Swerve Strickland, Pete Dunne, and Toni Storm. In 2021, the UK-based promotion came to an agreement with World Wrestling Entertainment, allowing their events to be streamed and viewed on the WWE Network platform.

During a recent interview with Tom Campbell of Cultaholic Wrestling, Martyn Best revealed that their partnership with the company reached its conclusion in 2023. Best elaborated that certain Progress content wasn't streamed on the WWE Network due to concerns that their talent could be seen as competition. It then led to Progress launching their own streaming service, Demand Progress Plus.

"There were a couple of times where we were bringing in wrestlers and talents from other promotions which maybe they would have viewed as competitive to the WWE landscape. So I know on a couple of occasions, they omitted one or two particular contests. But after a while, we said, ‘Look, you either take it all or what’s the point of us creating this show with different strands in it?"

Best further elaborated that at that time, PROGRESS' contract with WWE was coming up soon.

"The contract that PROGRESS had with them was due to expire at the end of January anyways so we were mindful that-that was gonna happen. As a consequence of that, we were already making our plans to create our own, essentially, network, on DEMAND PROGRESS PLUS," Best said. [H/T POST Wrestling]

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PROGRESS Wrestling owner talked about what he learned from WWE

During the same interview, Martyn Best discussed the insights he and co-owner Lee McAteer gained from their partnership with WWE.

Best highlighted the professionalism he observed and acknowledged the impact the Stamford-based company has had on the world of professional wrestling. He also praised the promotion's business-like approach and organization behind the scenes.

"Well it certainly gave you an insight into the absolute professionalism that they have and how they — we all know they transformed the world of professional wrestling, typically for the good I would say. Just how they do it is very business-like from behind the scenes. Very organized," Best said. [H/T POST Wrestling]

In February this year, PROGRESS Wrestling made a huge announcement, revealing a collaboration with DEFY Wrestling, a promotion based in the United States. The move aimed to enhance the global presence of both brands.