A report claiming ESPN had already decided not to renew its current deal with WWE was strongly refuted just hours after it began circulating on social media.
On Tuesday, August 25, SEScoops’ B.J. Bethel reported that ESPN does not intend to renew the deal once the current agreement expires. Bethel also pointed to possible communication and “synergy” issues between the two companies.
However, after Bethel’s report was published, Getting Over: Wrestling Podcast contacted sources directly connected to WWE and ESPN. Sources on both sides denied the report.
“Reached out to get a statement on the WWE-ESPN story. Sources in WWE and ESPN have refuted the story posted today by BJ Bethel. One source stated that there was ‘absolutely zero truth to it.’”
The current WWE-ESPN deal runs for five years and is worth an average of $325 million per year. The partnership began ahead of its originally scheduled start on September 20, 2025, with Wrestlepalooza, making ESPN the exclusive U.S. home of WWE premium live events.
There are also no official signs that ESPN is scaling back its involvement with WWE. Earlier this month, the network provided extensive SummerSlam coverage across SportsCenter, First Take and other programming. ESPN’s website also continues to promote all of WWE’s premium live events.
This is also not the first time rumors of issues between the companies have been denied. In December 2025, ESPN content president Burke Magnus said the partnership had been excellent to that point after similar reports surfaced.