Actor and former WWE writer Freddie Prinze Jr. has shared potentially troubling insights into ESPN’s current sentiment toward its broadcast partnership with WWE. Speaking on his podcast, Wrestling with Freddie, Prinze Jr. revealed details from a private conversation with a contact at The Walt Disney Company, suggesting that the media giant is not satisfied with how the agreement is performing thus far.
During a recap of the recent Survivor Series: WarGames event, Prinze Jr. pivoted to the business side of the industry. He cited a friend who currently works for Disney—the parent company of ESPN—who provided a blunt assessment of the network’s reaction to the deal.
“ESPN, by the way, so unhappy with the deal,” Prinze Jr. said. He elaborated on the financial pressure surrounding the partnership, quoting his source directly. “I was talking to a friend of mine who works for Disney, and he was just like, ‘Yo, they better make their money back on this deal.’ He just said, ‘They’re hot.’”
The partnership between WWE and ESPN is currently several months into its tenure. The agreement sees WWE’s Premium Live Events airing exclusively on ESPN’s new direct-to-consumer platform, a significant shift in the wrestling giant’s distribution model. Since the deal’s inception, the platform has hosted major events including Wrestlepalooza, Crown Jewel, and the recent Survivor Series: WarGames. The move was designed to drive subscriptions to ESPN’s streaming service, but Prinze Jr.’s comments suggest the return on investment may not be meeting internal projections at Disney.
Prinze Jr. also touched on John Cena’s status within this broadcast framework. Noting the significance of Survivor Series. “It’s his final pay-per-view on ESPN.” This comes at a time when media rights fees are a critical component of WWE’s revenue strategy.
WWE will look to maintain momentum as it moves toward the end of the year. Following Survivor Series, the company is preparing for its next major broadcast event, Saturday Night’s Main Event, which will take place on Saturday, December 13, at the Capital One Arena in Washington, D.C. That event will feature John Cena’s final match against the winner of the “Last Time Is Now” tournament.
