10 Ways WWE Has Shot Itself In The Foot In 2026
4. Screwing Over ESPN
For as long as WWE has been making deals with broadcasters, they've been trying to do them dirty. The latest victim in this long-running saga is ESPN, who partnered with the promotion in September 2025. Remember the whole WrestlePalooza debacle? That was their first show together.
This relationship somehow got worse over the next few months. When fans tried to log into ESPN+ to watch a PLE, they found it incredibly complicated. This was not ideal, especially given that they'd had to shell out for an expensive new streaming service.
The real tipping point was WrestleMania 42. In a bid to pull in more viewers, WWE announced that the first hour of each night of Mania would air for free on ESPN's linear TV channels. This included the much-hyped Brock Lesnar vs. Oba Femi match, one of the few draws across the entire weekend.
The entire ESPN saga felt like a massive betrayal of not only WWE's business partner, but their fans. In era where the company is more obviously corporate and greedy than ever, things like this are becoming worryingly commonplace.