Concerns have surfaced about the ongoing partnership between ESPN and WWE, as Freddie Prinze Jr., a former WWE writer, claims ESPN is dissatisfied with its current arrangement with the wrestling giant. The topic gained attention just before the recent WWE Survivor Series: WarGames event, highlighting ongoing uncertainty around WWE’s media deals and the involvement of Freddie Prinze Jr. WWE ESPN partnership as a focal point of the discussion.
Freddie Prinze Jr. Reveals ESPN’s Discontent
During a recent episode of the Wrestling With Freddie podcast, Prinze Jr. shared that he received information from a contact at Disney, parent company of ESPN, expressing concern about the WWE agreement. Citing this personal conversation, Prinze Jr. explained that officials at ESPN are unhappy with their current deal involving WWE content.
While discussing John Cena’s forthcoming last appearance at a WWE premium live event, Prinze Jr. brought up the tense situation with ESPN.
“It’s his final pay-per-view on ESPN. ESPN, by the way, so unhappy with the deal.”
– Freddie Prinze Jr., Podcast Host
Expanding on the matter, he added,
“I was talking to a friend of mine who works for Disney, and he was just like, ‘Yo, they better make their money back on this deal.’ He just said, ‘They’re hot.’”
– Freddie Prinze Jr., Podcast Host
Details of the WWE and ESPN Collaboration
The collaboration between WWE and ESPN began in September following the debut of Wrestlepalooza, introducing ESPN as the sole U.S. streaming platform for WWE premium live events (PLEs). International viewers access these events via Netflix, while WWE’s longstanding domestic partner NBCUniversal’s Peacock allowed the early start of the ESPN partnership with approval from all parties involved, including Disney’s ESPN and WWE.
The Wall Street Journal reported the total worth of the agreement at approximately $1.6 billion over five years, with annual payments averaging $325 million.
To honor its obligations to Peacock, WWE altered WrestleMania and SummerSlam, splitting both into two-night events as a gesture to fulfill contract terms early, as reported by The Hollywood Reporter.
Upcoming Events and Future Outlook
With changes underway, WWE fans can catch John Cena’s final bout during WWE Saturday Night’s Main Event, which will be streamed on Peacock on December 13. The next significant WWE premium live event on ESPN is scheduled to be the Royal Rumble on January 31, 2026, in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
As scrutiny continues around the deal’s value and ESPN’s internal sentiment, observers will be paying close attention to what happens between WWE, ESPN, and key organizations like Disney and NBCUniversal in the months leading to the next phase of WWE streaming offerings in the U.S.
