Seth Rollins: ESPN deal will legitimize WWE even further
For Seth Rollins, WWE’s new partnership with ESPN is a dream come true.
The World Heavyweight Champion was a guest on ESPN’s Get Up this morning, discussing the news that WWE’s new PLE deal with the network will now begin earlier than expected. The first WWE event to stream live on ESPN’s new direct-to-consumer service will be Wrestlepalooza from Indianapolis on Saturday, September 20.
.@WWERollins joins @GetUpESPN to talk about Wrestlepalooza, the WWE’s first Premium Live Event on ESPN 👏 pic.twitter.com/HLeDBUjzCp
— ESPN (@espn) August 21, 2025
“I’m stoked, man. I’m stoked to be a part of the ESPN family,” Rollins said. “For me personally, a lot of people had the Saturday morning cartoons or the morning cartoons before school — I grew up watching SportsCenter. That’s what kind of sports fan I was. I grew up watching replays of SportsCenter in the morning before I went to school. So the fact that we’re here teaming up with ESPN, it’s like my two favorite things in the world — sports and WWE — coming together.
“And it’s huge for us as an industry. Professional wrestling has been a part of kind of Americana for many, many, many, many, many years in different iterations. And as we start to dip our toe even further into the mainstream and really integrate ourselves into the mainstream, this is a huge step for us, legitimizing what we do as artists, as athletes. Like I said, for me personally, to be a part of the ESPN family is huge. I’m looking forward to this partnership and everything that it brings.”
Rollins is advertised for the Wrestlepalooza event but does not have an opponent yet. Later this month, he’ll be defending his World Heavyweight Championship against CM Punk, LA Knight, and Jey Uso in a fatal four-way match at WWE Clash in Paris.
It’s expected that John Cena vs. Brock Lesnar will headline Wrestlepalooza.
Clash in Paris will be the last WWE PLE to air on Peacock before the ESPN era begins. The WWE-ESPN deal is reportedly worth $1.6 billion ($325 million per year for five years) and is only for main roster PLEs. In addition to airing on the new ESPN streaming service, some select PLEs in the future will also be simulcast on ESPN’s linear TV networks.
The ESPN streaming service launched today and is priced at $29.99 per month or $299.99 per year. Some viewers who already pay for ESPN through a cable provider can access the new service at no extra cost.
Joseph Currier is the lead editor of F4WOnline.com, directing daily news coverage and writing articles on professional wrestling. He is a graduate of the University of Massachusetts, obtaining a journalism degree in 2016. Joseph joined F4W during his time at UMass and has now been writing about the industry for nearly a decade.
In addition to his work with F4W, Joseph has previously contributed to Sports Illustrated's wrestling coverage. He lives in Massachusetts and is a diehard fan of the Boston sports teams and Liverpool Football Club.