ESPN’s Wrestlepalooza rating was a shock to many within WWE.
On Saturday, September 20, WWE presented Wrestlepalooza, its first Premium Live Event in partnership with ESPN. The following day, however, ESPN published an article grading the show a ‘C’ and offering a largely critical review. A new update has since emerged regarding WWE’s internal reaction to the outlet’s response to their debut on the network.
According to WrestleVotes Radio, WWE was caught off guard by ESPN’s ‘C’ grade for Wrestlepalooza.
“There were a number of people within WWE surprised and puzzled that ESPN would publish an article grading their first ever WWE PLE at a C level. Those within were openly wondering why ESPN would want that kind of “online stigma” after what many considered a fairly standard event from WWE.”
-WrestleVotes
ESPN described Wrestlepalooza as a show that fell short of expectations, with every match except IYO SKY vs. Stephanie Vaquer graded a ‘C’ or lower. With the partnership between ESPN and WWE still in its infancy, attention now turns to how the outlet will cover the company’s weekly programming and future PLEs.
Next on WWE’s Premium Live Event calendar is Crown Jewel Perth in Australia on October 11, with the company likely hoping for a warmer reception from its new broadcast partners this time around.
As always, we’ll aim to provide any further updates on ESPN’s partnership with WWE as soon as we hear more.
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