WWE Faces Class Action Lawsuit Over ESPN Streaming Claims
The recent introduction of WWE premium live events on ESPN’s direct-to-consumer streaming platform in September has ignited controversy, leading to a burgeoning class action lawsuit.
Initially reported by Post Wrestling and Brandon Thurston on Friday, the lawsuit was filed on Thursday in the U.S. District Court for Connecticut.
It accuses WWE of misleading advertising, asserting that all ESPN subscribers would receive access to WWE premium live events (PLEs) at no additional charge.
Notably, only WWE is named in the lawsuit, excluding ESPN. Thurston speculated that this strategic decision aims to circumvent arbitration and class action waiver clauses embedded in Disney’s subscriber agreement.
ESPN, a subsidiary of Disney, has previously indicated intentions to finalize agreements with all cable and streaming service providers that carry ESPN, thereby allowing subscribers access to the streaming platform at no extra cost. Likewise, TKO Group’s Mark Shapiro has echoed this expectation.
However, as of this moment, several prominent providers have yet to reach such agreements, necessitating that subscribers pay a fee of $30 per month for access to the ESPN streaming platform, which includes WWE PLEs.
The plaintiffs aim to represent U.S.-based customers who a) were existing ESPN subscribers from August 6 through September 20, the date of Wrestlepalooza, and b) incurred charges for ESPN’s new service during that window.
Subscribers from DirecTV, Fubo TV, Hulu + Live TV, Spectrum, and Verizon FIOS are excluded from the lawsuit due to their authentication and access capabilities during that timeframe.
The action, initiated by two consumers, alleges potential damages exceeding $5 million, with eligible consumers poised to receive compensation in the event of a favorable ruling.
The lawsuit estimates that “WWE content drove approximately 95,000 to 125,000 new subscriptions during the defined period.”
Source link: F4wonline.com.
