ESPN Officially Joins Lawsuit Against WWE Over Premium Live Event Streaming

ESPN has officially joined the lawsuit against WWE concerning the streaming of its Premium Live Events.

A ruling issued on September 18 approved ESPN’s motion to intervene in the lawsuit. The case was filed by Michael Diesa and Rebecca Toback, who allege that WWE and ESPN misled consumers about the cost and availability of WWE Premium Live Events after the programming moved from Peacock to ESPN.

The plaintiffs originally sued WWE, but their amended complaint also alleges that ESPN violated the Connecticut Unfair Trade Practices Act (CUTPA) and conspired with WWE to do so, according to the ruling.

ESPN And BAMTech Join WWE Streaming Lawsuit

BAMTech LLC, a subsidiary of ESPN that handles streaming technology, also sought to intervene in the lawsuit. The court granted the motions allowing both companies to join the case and defend themselves against the allegations.

ESPN and BAMTech argued that the claims should be addressed through arbitration rather than in federal court. The companies noted that the plaintiffs were subscribers to ESPN Unlimited and had agreed to the service’s terms of use.

WWE previously made similar arguments regarding arbitration in the case.

The lawsuit concerns WWE’s move from Peacock to ESPN for its Premium Live Events. The plaintiffs claim they were misled by public statements regarding how much it would cost to watch WWE programming after the transition to ESPN Unlimited.

Wrestlepalooza 2025 was the first WWE Premium Live Event to stream on ESPN Unlimited following the move.

The court noted that ESPN was not entitled to intervene as a matter of right under Rule 24(a), as it had not shown that its interests would not be adequately protected by WWE. However, the court found ESPN’s arguments for permissive intervention under Rule 24(b) “compelling” and granted the motions.

The plaintiffs are seeking “actual, compensatory and/or consequential damages,” as well as potential statutory and punitive damages. They are also seeking attorneys’ fees and litigation costs.

The requested relief includes an injunction preventing WWE from allegedly continuing to violate CUTPA, conspiring with ESPN to violate the law, or aiding and abetting alleged violations by ESPN.

The plaintiffs have also sought a jury trial since the lawsuit was filed.

READ MORE: TKO President Mark Shapiro Says More WWE Sponsorship Deals Are on the Way

The post ESPN Officially Joins Lawsuit Against WWE Over Premium Live Event Streaming appeared first on Wrestlezone.

from Wrestlezone https://ift.tt/He6SZzg
via WWE