ESPN Issue Denial On Claim They Have Already Decided Not To Renew WWE Media Rights Deal

ESPN have denied a report that the organisation were already planning to ditch WWE when their United States media rights deal expires in 2030.

BJ Bethel of SEScoops reported that ESPN wouldn't be renewing their deal with WWE when it expires, claiming that multiple sources had stated the relationship had faced several problems, including the current media market, "culture and synergy" issues, and the failure of cable providers to cover the cost of the app for customers.

ESPN Head of Communications Ben Cafardo, however, denied this was the case, issuing the following statement: "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."

Bethel stood by the story and noted on X/Twitter that he tried contacting ESPN, but only through an ESPN fan support page and by leaving a voicemail on a support phone line, as opposed to contacting anyone involved with ESPN communications.

ESPN and WWE agreed to a five-year deal worth $1.6 billion for WWE's pay-per-view rights in the United States, with the deal taking effect with Wrestlepalooza in September of 2025. The deal has seen WWE heavily promoted across ESPN platforms, something that has drawn criticism from ESPN viewers who aren't pro wrestling fans, while WWE pay-per-views air on ESPN Unlimited, a service that is set to increase in price to $31.99 per month in September.