Some Cable Subscribers Won’t Get WWE Wrestlepalooza Without Additional Payment
The launch of WWE Premium Live Events on ESPN’s new streaming platform is set to begin with significant confusion and frustration for many fans this Saturday. The first exclusive event, WWE Wrestlepalooza, will be unavailable to subscribers of several major television distributors, including Comcast and YouTube TV, which represent a combined total of over 20 million subscribers. This access issue will force many WWE fans to, in essence, pay twice for ESPN if they wish to watch the show, creating a rocky start for the new partnership.
The problem stems from the new app’s premium tier, “ESPN Unlimited,” which will house the exclusive WWE content. During a press availability on Wednesday, September 17, JT Lasker, SVP of direct-to-consumer at ESPN, confirmed that no form of limited accessibility would be offered this weekend to pay TV subscribers whose providers have not yet reached a deal for the new tier. This means customers of Comcast, YouTube TV, Cox, Sling TV, and other providers will be blocked from viewing Wrestlepalooza through their existing cable or streaming subscriptions and would need to purchase a separate subscription directly from ESPN to gain access.
According to Lasker, this issue is expected to be short-term. The ESPN executive stated that the “vast majority” of distributors would have access for their subscribers by the end of the year, a timeline he described as a “worst case scenario”. The resolution may come much sooner, as ESPN and parent company Disney have distribution deals with Google (YouTube TV) and Comcast that are set to expire as early as next month, which will likely accelerate negotiations to avoid potential blackouts. ESPN’s communication strategy for the launch has been to focus on informing customers who do have access—such as those with Charter, Verizon, and DirecTV—while planning no specific outreach to the customers who will be blocked from viewing the event.
The launch is reportedly the result of two converging factors: a hasty rollout of the new ESPN app to coincide with the start of the football season, and the WWE PLE deal beginning much sooner than its original April 2026 start date. This accelerated timeline did not leave enough time for ESPN to finalize distribution deals with all of its key partners before the first app-exclusive live event, leading to the current situation where a large group of wrestling fans is expected to be angry and confused this Saturday evening.
The fans who are unable to watch this weekend will miss a stacked card for the inaugural Wrestlepalooza. The event is scheduled to feature Cody Rhodes defending the WWE Championship against Drew McIntyre, a battle of married couples as CM Punk and AJ Lee take on Seth Rollins and Becky Lynch, John Cena facing Brock Lesnar, and the crowning of a new Women’s World Champion in a match between Iyo Sky and Stephanie Vaquer.
