ESPN has publicly and forcefully denied a report claiming it had already decided not to renew its media-rights agreement with WWE. The report, published by SEScoops on August 25, cited multiple sources saying ESPN planned to walk away once its current deal expires unless there was a massive increase in ESPN Unlimited subscriptions or wider distribution through television providers.
ESPN pushed back hard on the claim. Spokesman Ben Cafardo called the report "completely false" and said, "There is no truth to the report that we have decided not to renew," adding that the outlet never contacted ESPN before publishing. Several major outlets, including Forbes and POST Wrestling, reported ESPN characterizing the story as categorically false.
The two sides reached a five-year deal in 2025, reported at roughly $1.6 billion, to carry WWE premium live events on ESPN's direct-to-consumer app, which launched about a year ago. With only one year completed, the exchange highlights ongoing questions about the streaming service's subscriber growth, though no change to the current agreement has been announced.