WWE’s first PLE on ESPN is right around the corner, and many fans aren’t sure if they will have access to the event via their pay-TV provider or a separate subscription.
On Saturday, WrestlePalooza kicks off a reported five-year $1.6 billion agreement that gives ESPN exclusive domestic rights to WWE PLEs. The deal was originally scheduled to begin in April, but was bumped up to September after the wrestling promotion negotiated its exit from NBC’s Peacock. Now, many fans are scrambling, trying to figure out if they need to sign up for the ESPN DTC service for $29.99 per month, or if they can watch using their sign-in authentication from their TV provider.
Some ESPN linear subscribers will have to double pay to watch the app-exclusive action inside the squared circle, per a report from Awful Announcing:
When asked by Awful Announcing during a press availability on Wednesday whether ESPN would offer some form of limited accessibility for pay TV subscribers that don’t currently have access to ESPN Unlimited, the company’s premium app tier that will house Wrestlepalooza, [ESPN’s SVP of direct-to-consumer JT] Lasker said no. That means WWE fans who get ESPN through distributors like Comcast, YouTube TV, Cox, Sling TV, and others, will need to, in essence, double pay for ESPN if they want access to Saturday’s event.
In the report, Lasker goes on to say that by the end of the calendar year, the “vast majority” of distributors will get ESPN Unlimited sign-in authentication. Some of the confusion stems from the lead-up to the app’s launch, when Disney CEO Bob Iger stated that if you’re a subscriber of linear ESPN, you would “automatically” get access to the DTC app during an earnings call.
Until Disney reaches new carriage agreements with distributors, subscribers to YouTube TV, Sling TV, and other popular platforms will be without ESPN Unlimited authentication. The DTC could be coming sooner than later as YouTube TV’s current agreement with Disney is set to expire in December. If the two sides can reach a deal ahead of time, wrestling fans could get access to the next major PLE, WWE Survivor Series, in November.
Currently, major streamers, including DIRECTV, Fubo, and Hulu + Live TV, offer ESPN Unlimited sign-in authentication. Notably, Hulu + Live TV (Disney-owned) touts the inclusion of ESPN Unlimited on its website as a selling point in a table comparing it to cable/satellite and YouTube TV.
With the WWE Universe gearing up for tomorrow’s first ESPN app-exclusive event, this marks a new chapter for the network and the promotion. Wrestling fans are known to be vocal across social media, which will amplify the frustration from those who will have to double pay for ESPN.
WWE competitor, AEW, is running a show on the same day (AEW All Out), so fans could tune into the alternative instead for their wrestling fix. Plus, All Out will be easily accessible as it is the AEW’s first PPV to stream live on HBO Max.
If you need an ESPN Unlimited subscription, you can save on Wrestlepalooza live in Indianapolis and thousands of hours of live sports for the first year. Right now, the ESPN app bundled with Disney+ and Hulu is only $29.99 (original price $35.99) for the first 12 months. The bundle packs the expansive libraries of Hulu and Disney, including classics and originals, and all of ESPN in one place.
Credit: Awful Announcing