As PWMania.com previously reported, questions have emerged regarding the long-term future of WWE’s streaming partnership with ESPN following a report claiming the network does not intend to renew the agreement when its current five-year contract expires. However, ESPN has now strongly denied that claim.
The original report, published by BJ Bethel of SEScoops, cited multiple sources who indicated that ESPN does not currently plan to renew its WWE deal beyond the existing contract. In response, ESPN issued the following statement to PWInsider: “There is no truth to the report that we have decided not to renew. They never checked with us before publishing and had they, we would have told them that was completely false.”
WWE and ESPN entered into a five-year agreement worth approximately $1.6 billion, or around $325 million annually, making the ESPN App the U.S. streaming home for WWE premium live events. The partnership launched in September 2025 with the inaugural Wrestlepalooza event.
Bethel’s report claimed that several issues have emerged during the first year of the partnership, including challenges within the current media landscape, alleged “culture and synergy” conflicts between WWE and ESPN, and difficulties convincing television providers to absorb the cost of providing ESPN’s streaming service to customers.
According to the report, the WWE agreement was largely put together at the executive level between Disney and TKO, with one source claiming there were “virtually no discussions” between WWE and ESPN surrounding the launch of the ESPN App despite WWE PLEs becoming a major part of the service.
The relationship has reportedly evolved since then, with ESPN increasing its promotion of WWE programming, making some WWE content available through lower-tier subscriptions and airing the opening hour of certain PLEs on its traditional television networks.
ESPN’s increased WWE coverage has also generated some criticism among traditional sports viewers. Awful Announcing recently noted that WWE received more discussion across ESPN’s three morning shows on one particular day than MLB and the NHL, prompting debate on social media about the network’s increased emphasis on professional wrestling.
The report also comes as ESPN increases pricing for its streaming service and adjusts pricing for packages involving Hulu and Disney+. According to SEScoops, four out of five ESPN App subscribers currently access the service through the Disney bundle.
Disney reportedly views its ESPN Unlimited offering as one way to offset declining carriage-fee revenue as consumers continue moving away from traditional cable packages. Executives were also reportedly hopeful that the addition of WWE PLEs would encourage television providers to reach agreements to include the ESPN App for their subscribers.
When providers do not adopt the service, however, ESPN is left responsible for selling subscriptions directly to consumers, something the report claims was not anticipated to the current extent when the service initially launched.
One source cited by SEScoops suggested that a significant increase in subscriptions or more favorable agreements with television providers would be needed to substantially change the economics surrounding the WWE partnership.
Despite those claims, ESPN’s statement makes clear that the company disputes the central assertion that a decision has already been made not to renew WWE’s contract.
With approximately four years remaining on the five-year agreement, there is also considerable time for the streaming landscape and the WWE-ESPN relationship to evolve before either side would need to make a final decision regarding a potential renewal.
In addition to WWE’s main roster PLEs, ESPN carries CW Sports content that includes WWE NXT programming. NXT Heatwave is currently scheduled to take place on Sunday, August 30th.
