New Class Action Lawsuit Filed Against WWE Regarding ESPN PLE Deal
On January 8, 2026, a new class action lawsuit was filed against WWE regarding the Premium Live Events deal with ESPN that was announced in 2025, with the company being accused of deceptive marketing practices. Brandon Thurston of POST Wrestling was the first to break the news, where he detailed everything about the lawsuit, as well as some of the outcomes and consequences.
The lawsuit centers around the idea that fans who already had access to ESPN channels still had to pay an additional monthly fee to watch the WWE Premium Live Events, which now air on the ESPN DTE streaming service. The plaintiffs claim that this goes against what was communicated by both WWE and ESPN as it was made out that existing ESPN subscribers and customers would automatically have access to the WWE events. The lawsuit claims that there is more than $5 million wrapped up in this issue, and the eligible ESPN customers who are being represented could receive a refund or partial reimbursement if the case is won. However, the customers being represented will be those who signed up to ESPN DTE in the lead up to the Wrestlepalooza event on September 20, 2025 who already have access to ESPN through their cable or satellite providers.
Thurston made sure to note that it is only WWE being listed as a defendant in the lawsuit and not ESPN, or ESPN's parent company Disney. This is because it avoids the case potentially going to arbitration, as well as the class action waivers that are noted in the terms and conditions of Disney's service agreement, which can also be found when anyone signs up Disney's own streaming service, Disney+. Both WWE and ESPN are yet to respond to the lawsuit in any official capacity, though both parties will likely address the issue in the coming weeks and months.
The Events That Led To The Lawsuit
The official complaint, which was brought forward by Michael Diesa and Rebecca Toback of New Jersey and New York respectively, claims that customers were mislead into paying for something that they shouldn't have. For example, Toback is YouTube TV subscriber while Diesa has an Xfinity cable package, meaning that both individuals would have access to ESPN channels already, therefore being eligible to gain access to ESPN DTC and WWE Premium Live Events at no extra cost.
WWE President Nick Khan's interview on the "Varsity" podcast was cited as an example of a WWE official saying that, much like the company's original deal with Peacock, there would be no upcharge in regards to watching WWE events as part of the new ESPN deal. The official press release detailing the WWE and ESPN deal was also listed as a piece of misleading evidence as it specifically says that features of the ESPN DTC service would be available to everyone who is already subscribed to the ESPN app either directly or through a cable TV package.
There will be some customers who won't be represented in the suit as Disney has various agreements with each pay TV provider. This means that some providers did allow their customers to gain access to the WWE events at no extra cost, including DirecTV, Verizon FIOS, and Spectrum. The plaintiffs understand that if they win the case, they will likely only get around $30 or more in individual compensation, but that's not the point. They want the case to proceed as it could gain a lot of exposure since between 95,000 and 125,000 signups were registered in the lead up to Wrestlepalooza, which would have generated millions for a company that is already getting an average of $325 million per year from the ESPN deal.