Why Fans Are Hesitant of WWE On ESPN

Too Much Money

Before the WWE was on multiple streaming services, there was the WWE Network. This service offered everything the WWE has to offer, from PLEs to original shows and decades-old content replays. All of this was only for $9.99.

WWE created the deal with Peacock, and it kept all of the content at $9.99. Much of the audience moved to Peacock with the WWE content because the price remained the same as before. However, with ESPN, the price will now be $29.99 per month.

This is a reasonable price for people who are fans of other sports and have different uses for the streaming service. However, many wrestling fans who want to watch wrestling will now have to pay an extra $20 to view the same content. This price rise seems excessive for viewing only a portion of the same content, given our uncertainty about how much of the WWE library will be transferred to ESPN beyond the PLEs.

Too Many Platforms

This change to ESPN adds another platform that will have WWE content. While this move to ESPN is sooner than expected, some content will remain on Peacock. Peacock will hold the remaining Saturday Night Main Event PLEs for the year because of a deal they have with NBC. 

The WWE Network library will remain on Peacock for the remainder of 2025. This will include SmackDown replays, but they will appear 30 days after the original air date. NXT PLEs will continue to be streamed on Peacock through March 2026.

If the audience watches NXT as well, to stay on top of all the WWE content, they would need both ESPN and Peacock through to March 2026. If they want to watch Monday Night Raw, the user must have Netflix, which costs an additional $7.99 per month, at least, as they have more expensive packages. Not only do these prices add up, but it’s also inconvenient to have to go back and forth between platforms to find content from the same company. 

That is paid content. There are also NXT weekly episodes and WWE Evolve, which can be watched on Tubi, a free streaming platform. NXT can also be watched on the CW network. All WWE content will be distributed across four different platforms. This large amount can make it confusing and frustrating for the audience. 

Quality Content

With all of this transitioning, it is hard to say how much WWE content will ultimately be on ESPN and when it will arrive. We know they will now hold PLEs such as the upcoming Wrestlepalooza, but how far back will we be able to watch previous PLEs? Monday Night Raw episodes on Netflix are only available to stream from 2025, excluding those that occurred prior. For the price point being asked for by ESPN, the audience wants quality and consistent content.

Another concern with receiving quality content is the ads that take place. Understandably, there are ads, as that is how they make money. However, for users who will now pay the price increase, they also don’t want an increase in ads.

While there is still some uncertainty that comes with this move to ESPN, it is something that we will have to see unfold over the next few years. Hopefully, after these multiyear contracts end, the WWE can become more user-friendly again.