Overview
- ESPN asked a federal judge to let it intervene in the consumer lawsuit targeting WWE’s marketing around access to premium live events and to compel arbitration under its subscriber terms.
- ESPN says its agreement requires customers to resolve disputes individually through arbitration, which would block a class-action case in court.
- Two consumers sued in January, alleging WWE misled fans by suggesting ESPN subscribers would get WWE events at no extra cost, even though many without participating TV or streaming providers had to pay $29.99 per month for ESPN Unlimited.
- The proposed class covers people subscribed between August 6 and before Wrestlepalooza on September 20, 2025, and it excludes Hulu + Live TV, Spectrum, Verizon Fios, DirecTV, and FuboTV customers who received access at no charge.
- The court has not ruled on ESPN’s bid, and the outcome could determine whether claims continue as a public class case or move into closed-door arbitration; ESPN has carried WWE’s events since September 2025 while some distribution deals have lagged.