Earlier on Wednesday, Freddie Prinze Jr., who has ties to WWE as a former creative team member and currently hosts a podcast, cast doubt on the seemingly positive relationship between WWE and ESPN. During his Survivor Series: WarGames review, Prinze mentioned that insiders at Disney hinted ESPN might be unhappy with the performance of WWE’s pay-per-view events so far. He speculated this might be linked to the pay-per-view events not meeting expected sales values but did not provide further details.
Shortly after, both WWE and ESPN refuted Prinze Jr.’s claims. According to Fightful Select, an ESPN representative stated they were unaware of any issues and expressed that ESPN has enjoyed collaborating with WWE during their nearly four months of partnership. WWE executives responded more sharply, with one dismissing Prinze Jr.’s relevance in wrestling and implying that WWE leadership is not familiar with him, hinting he won’t be receiving a Christmas card from them this year.
Ultimately, these alleged tensions may be irrelevant since WWE and ESPN are in the first year of a five-year, $1.6 billion deal, which reportedly doesn’t have any opt-out clauses. The partnership continues, with the upcoming 2026 Royal Rumble pay-per-view planned to air live on ESPN’s streaming service from Saudi Arabia.
Fan Take: This news is important for WWE fans because it highlights the continuing evolution of WWE’s media partnerships, which directly impact how fans experience events. Any strain in their relationship could affect the quality and accessibility of WWE broadcasts, but the strong denials suggest stability ahead, ensuring fans can look forward to big shows without interruption.
