ESPN has strongly denied a report claiming the network has already decided against renewing its WWE Premium Live Event agreement when the current deal expires in 2030.

A report from BJ Bethel of SEScoops on Tuesday claimed ESPN “won’t be renewing the [WWE PLE] contract when it expires.”

However, the claim was quickly disputed, with Josh Nason reporting that a source familiar with the situation described the story as baseless.

ESPN has now responded directly, issuing a statement that calls the report “completely false.”

“There is no truth to the report that we have decided not to renew. They never checked with us before publishing and had they, we would have told them that was completely false.”

WWE and ESPN began their partnership in 2025 as part of a five-year agreement reportedly worth around $1.6 billion.

The first WWE Premium Live Event carried by ESPN was Wrestlepalooza on September 20, 2025, meaning the partnership is now approaching its first anniversary.

WWE PLEs are available through the ESPN app for Unlimited subscribers. Some events have also featured a simulcast of the opening hour on ESPN or ESPN2, although that was not the case for SummerSlam.

The partnership has extended beyond simply broadcasting WWE events.

WWE Superstars regularly appear across ESPN programming during major event weeks as part of the promotional push for upcoming PLEs. The two companies also teamed up for a Danhausen-themed ice cream truck promotion in Minneapolis during SummerSlam week.

The original report suggested several factors were behind ESPN allegedly deciding against extending the partnership, including the current media landscape, supposed “culture and synergy” concerns between WWE and ESPN, and cable providers not absorbing the cost of the ESPN app for customers.

It was also claimed that a significant increase in subscriptions or more favourable arrangements involving cable providers and ESPN Unlimited could potentially change that position.

ESPN's response, however, makes clear that the company says no decision has been made not to renew WWE's deal.

ESPN Unlimited has also recently expanded its availability, becoming accessible to YouTube TV subscribers at no additional cost.

With the WWE-ESPN agreement still having several years remaining, any suggestion that its fate in 2030 has already been decided appears premature based on ESPN's public response.

What do you make of ESPN's statement? Do you think WWE and ESPN will still be working together beyond 2030?