Class Action Lawsuit Alleges WWE Misled Consumers About Monthly Cost to Stream Live Events on ESPN

A proposed class action lawsuit alleges that WWE intentionally misled consumers into believing that those who already paid for ESPN would not have to pay more per month to stream live events after the wrestling behemoth’s viewership rights were bought by the sports network from Peacock in August 2025.

The 30-page lawsuit contends that World Wrestling Entertainment deceptively led consumers to believe that anyone who already paid for ESPN, such as through cable TV or a satellite provider, would be able to watch the promotion’s most-hyped premium live events—including WrestleMania, the Royal Rumble, SummerSlam, Survivor Series and Money in the Bank, among other shows—on ESPN’s new direct-to-consumer streaming service at no additional cost.

Instead, the case says, the majority of ESPN subscribers came to learn that, despite WWE’s public statements, they would have to pay in full for the sports network’s new streaming service in order to watch the wrestling promotion’s marquee live events.

In truth, the filing relays, only certain ESPN subscribers—namely, those who had already paid for add-ons and other premium packages above the base monthly ESPN subscription rate—would be able to access the desired WWE content without any new charges.

All other viewers, including those who had already subscribed to ESPN’s base packages,  were left to pay $29.99 per month— nearly triple the price of ESPN’s monthly subscription cost—to access WWE events on ESPN’s new direct-to-consumer streaming service, the class action lawsuit claims, accusing WWE of effectuating a bait-and-switch scheme at the expense of wrestling fans nationwide.

“WWE fans were predictably—and understandably—upset by this willful, intentional, and outlandish money-grab,” the filing reads.

According to the lawsuit, WWE’s alleged bait-and-switch conduct amounts to a violation of the Connecticut Unfair Trade Practices Act as consumers were unexpectedly forced to pay more out-of-pocket to view content, in contrast to assurances made in advertising about WWE’s switch from Peacock to ESPN for streaming.

WWE, ESPN allowed consumer confusion after announcing “megadeal,” class action claims

Prior to the August 2025 “megadeal” between ESPN and WWE, all WWE live events could be streamed on Peacock, the streaming service owned and operated by NBC, which offered plans with WWE access for as low as $11 per month, the suit explains. Though the five-year, $1.6 billion ESPN-WWE pact was touted as a “strategic collaboration” meant to expand the audience of both companies while benefiting viewers and producers, the streaming-service switch created considerable confusion as to whether consumers would “have to pay a second time for access to the new service” and WWE’s live events, the lawsuit says.

Crucially, executives informed WWE’s “fanatical and loyal” fanbase that they would not be harmed financially by the switch from Peacock to ESPN, the lawsuit says.

According to the class action lawsuit, WWE “deliberately, willfully, and/or knowingly” allowed the confusing and “ubiquitous misunderstanding” among wrestling consumers to “run rampant,” with the company allegedly “[w]ell aware” that its fans thought they would be able to access ESPN’s streaming service for free as long as they already subscribed to the network.

“Accordingly, when many WWE fans—who were lured in by ESPN and WWE’s brazen, material misrepresentations—tried to sign up for the service prior to [September 2025’s] Wrestlepalooza, they were surprised—and upset—to learn that they would have to pay $29.99 per month to watch that [premium live event],” the complaint reads, stressing that WWE “did nothing—or next to nothing—to rebut that understanding or to clear up any confusion.”

Per the suit, WWE’s misrepresentations paid off as consumers signed up for the ESPN App in droves ahead of the promotion’s Wrestlepalooza event last September, with reportedly around 130,000 new subscribers in the weekend leading up to the event.

Lawsuit highlights “no upcharge” claim for WWE premium live events streamed on ESPN

On a podcast in August 2025, WWE President Nick Khan confirmed that viewers who subscribe to the “ESPN flagship” direct-to-consumer service will get access to all premium live events “with no upcharge,” the complaint highlights.

Per the suit, the “no upcharge” statement was bolstered by other statements from ESPN, now operating jointly with WWE, claiming that the new features will be available to “all fans” on the ESPN app, whether they are subscribers of ESPN directly or through a traditional paid television package.

The lawsuit argues that, in light of the “no upcharge” and “available to all fans” statements from WWE and ESPN, as well as from executives in ads featuring well-known wrestlers, fans were led to believe that content would be made available to all ESPN subscribers, regardless of their plan, and would not require any extra charges to access.

As consumers learned when they tried to sign up for the new [direct-to-consumer] Service—many on the eve of the first WWE [Premium Live Event] to stream on the service—WWE’s (and ESPN’s) material representations, which were likely to (and did) mislead consumers, simply were not true. They were a ‘bait and switch’: The majority of consumers who already had subscribed to ESPN in another manner and expected to receive access to the new service for free instead were required to pay in full for it.”

The features that actually were “free”, according to the case, were the enhanced ESPN app features that included advanced statistics, betting information, fantasy sports, commerce, and personalized recommendations.

Who is covered by the WWE on ESPN lawsuit?

The WWE class action lawsuit looks to represent all individuals in the United States, including its territories, who subscribed to ESPN’s direct-to-consumer service between August 6, 2025 and September 20, 2025 and paid a monthly fee (or any portion thereof) for the subscription, even though they were already an ESPN subscriber via another provider or means.

How can I sign up for the WWE on ESPN lawsuit?

Typically, you don’t need to do anything to sign up for or join a class action lawsuit when it’s initially filed. Should the case be resolved via class action settlement, settlement class members will typically be notified of the deal by mail and/or email with instructions on what to do next and their options and legal rights moving forward.

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Looking for current class action lawsuits to join? Check out ClassAction.org’s class action lawsuit list.