WWE Kept The ESPN Deal A Secret From Top Names

WWE recently signed a billion-dollar deal with ESPN.

The contract allows the Stamford promotion to use ESPN’s streaming service to telecast its premium live events exclusively on the platform.

ESPN’s streaming service is priced at $29.99, allowing fans to watch sports as well as the upcoming WWE PLEs.

After the news broke, congratulatory messages flew in for both conglomerates.

On the other hand, the fan sentiment was divided; some called it an attack on consumerism, while others advocated the move, citing ESPN’s superior production quality.

WWE superstar Roman Reigns was on the ESPN morning show when the channel broke the news. A few moments later, Cody Rhodes shared his thoughts about this historic move.

On social media, Triple H and Nick Khan posted messages, celebrating the deal with the fans.

Some WWE Higher-Ups Did Not Know About The ESPN Deal

WWE’s partnership with ESPN came as a surprise to the fans. However, it also shocked a few of the company’s top executives, who were kept in the dark about the deal.

According to Dave Meltzer of Wrestling Observer, the people on the wrestling promotion’s top food chain learnt about the deal at the same time as the fans.

I know the only thing I heard from someone that I would say higher on the food chain was that they didn’t know literally until the announcement was made.

But they were — one person told me that he was hoping for ESPN because he thought of all the possibilities as far as the U.S. market… that ESPN was the best for exposure. And I completely agree with that. I think that for WWE, if the money is even or even a little lower… ESPN is the better deal. [H/T: Ringside News]

The deal will come into effect in 2026.