ESPN files motion to intervene in WWE PLE lawsuit
ESPN files motion to intervene in WWE PLE lawsuit
A group of fans is suing the wrestling promotion over alleged deceptive advertising practices following the shift of PLEs to ESPN Unlimited.
Like a good tag-team partner running down to the ring to rescue a friend who finds themselves in dire circumstances, ESPN is coming to the aid of the WWE. The wrestling promotion currently faces a class-action lawsuit from fans who argue that WWE and ESPN deceived customers by saying that the ESPN Unlimited streaming service, which is required for customers to watch premium live events (PLEs), would eventually be available at no extra cost if you already had access to ESPN via a cable, satellite, or live TV streaming subscription. Now, ESPN has filed a motion to intervene in the case, a move that could force the suit into arbitration.
Key Details:
- Let us in: ESPN has filed a motion to join the class-action lawsuit against WWE over PLEs.
- Untruthful: The plaintiffs say they were deceptively told WWE PLEs would be free to stream as part of their pay-TV package, eventually.
- Not the first time: Disney has tried to wield the arbitration clause in its streaming terms of use in the past.
WWE’s legal troubles stem from its deal with ESPN to stream premium live events on the new ESPN Unlimited streaming service. In January, plaintiffs Michael Diesa and Rebecca Toback filed suit alleging they had been deceived into paying for ESPN Unlimited, and claimed that advertising from WWE and ESPN convinced them that the service would be available for free with their pay-TV subscription.
The plaintiffs only named WWE in their suit, and likely chose to omit ESPN to avoid the arbitration clause Disney builds into its streaming terms of service. Any individual or company that wants to sue Disney must instead go to arbitration to settle their claim, per the clause.
ESPN has now filed a motion to intervene in the lawsuit on WWE’s behalf, as Brandon Thurston first reported on X (the social media platform formerly known as Twitter). If the network’s request is granted, the case will be compelled to move to arbitration instead, which could result in a much more favorable outcome for WWE and ESPN.
ESPN Unlimited is available at no additional cost from several pay-TV distributors, including DIRECTV, Fubo, Hulu + Live TV, Spectrum, and Verizon FIOS. YouTube TV customers will also get access to the streaming service later this year, but the lawsuit alleges that ESPN and WWE’s advertising specified that all pay-TV customers would get access to the streamer for free. ESPN Unlimited costs $30 per month to subscribe to outside of a pay-TV plan.
Disney has tried to enforce this arbitration clause quite infamously in the past. In 2024, the company tried to use the clause as a shield to prevent a wrongful death lawsuit by the family of a visitor who passed away at a Disney-owned establishment. Disney eventually dropped its attempt to cover itself legally with the clause in that case after a shower of bad publicity, but it is unlikely to do so in the WWE lawsuit.
As of Saturday, customers who wish to join the class-action lawsuit against WWE were still able to do so. To be eligible, viewers must have been an existing ESPN subscriber between Aug. 6 and Sept. 20, 2025, when the first WWE PLE streamed on ESPN. If you got ESPN access through DIRECTV, Fubo, Hulu + Live TV, Spectrum, or Verizon FIOS at that time, you are not eligible to be represented.
ESPN Unlimited
ESPN launched its highly anticipated direct-to-consumer streaming service on August 21, 2025. For the first time, this service gives sports fans access to its full lineup of linear channels without a traditional cable or satellite subscription.