Update, Aug. 31: SEScoops, the professional wrestling news outlet that ran an article claiming that ESPN was already eyeing an exit from its WWE partnership, has retracted its widely aggregated report.
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The outlet had claimed that ESPN already intended not to renew its streaming PLE partnership with WWE, even though the deal isn't up for renewal until 2030. The outlet has since pulled the story from its site and parted ways with reporter BJ Bethel.
"We published a report from BJ Bethel on WWE's relationship with ESPN. We are retracting that story in its entirety," the outlet posted in a public statement. "Before a story like this runs, the subject deserves a direct chance to respond, and that step wasn't taken to the appropriate standard. Since publication, it's come to light that this effort fell way short. We ran it and the buck stops with us. We've parted ways with Mr. Bethel, have had our verification procedures reviewed by an outside partner, and updated our process as a result."
Original Story, Aug. 25: ESPN reportedly does not intend to renew its massive partnership with WWE when the current agreement expires, though the network is strongly denying that any such decision has been made.
SEScoops claimed that their multiple sources claimed ESPN plans to walk away from the five-year deal after its conclusion unless there is a "massive increase in subscriptions" to ESPN Unlimited or significantly more television providers begin offering the streaming service.
ESPN, however, pushed back hard on the report following its publication.
"There is no truth to the report that we (ESPN) have decided not to renew," ESPN spokesman Ben Cafardo said. "They (SEScoops) never checked with us before publishing and had they, we would have told them that was completely false."
The SEScoops reporter behind the report, BJ Bethel, subsequently said he stands by his reporting.
ESPN and WWE agreed to a five-year, $1.6 billion partnership in 2025 that brought WWE's premium live events like WrestleMania and Royal Rumble to the network's direct-to-consumer service.
According to SEScoops, problems have emerged involving the media market, differences in "culture and synergy" between the network and WWE, and fewer cable providers than anticipated picking up the cost of ESPN Unlimited for customers.
ESPN has also increased WWE's visibility across its platforms, including promotion on its television programming and making some WWE content available outside the highest streaming tier.
The partnership is still only in its early stages, meaning plenty could change before the contract actually expires. That's also an important distinction in the competing accounts: SEScoops is reporting ESPN's current intention is not to renew under existing circumstances, while ESPN is denying that it has decided not to renew.
Either way, a five-year, $1.6 billion sports-media partnership suddenly has considerably more intrigue surrounding its future.
