ListNook

Odd-Inevitable-8425 1 day ago +112

>Hale used to do grades for ESPN after WWE Premium Live Events, but that stopped after he gave a C to WWE Wrestlepalooza, which was the first event to air on ESPN Unlimited. Hale has covered MMA and boxing during his professional career. >Hale also covered Janel Grant’s amended lawsuit against Vince McMahon in recent weeks.

112

IowaJammer 23 hr ago +73

WWE is leaking water right now. It's no surprise they want to limit access.

73

707breezy 23 hr ago +11

I’m out of the loop in what way are they leaking?

11

IowaJammer 22 hr ago +53

Ratings are down, Attendance is down, Prices are up. They're in a rut creatively and fans aren't thrilled with the current product at the price it's being offered. Not a great combination historically. This weekend is the annual payoff and it will either seal the leak or make it a whole lot worse.

53

SuspendedAgain999 17 hr ago +13

Forgot it’s not on peacock anymore. Zero chance I’ll ever see a WWE PPV again

13

RODjij 16 hr ago +4

PPVs and libraries moved to Netflix

4

Sec2727 16 hr ago +1

Both comments above can be true

1

3n3quarter 14 hr ago +6

I wanted to watch the Rumble, realized it wasn’t on Peacock anymore so cancelled Peacock. Misunderstood that it was on ESPN+, hey I pay for that already, nope, ESPN+ Unlimited. I can’t even upgrade to it if I wanted to because of the type of bundle I have. “Congratulations, you played yourself” as they say.

6

Ok-Temporary-8243 22 hr ago +2

Hasn't that been the case for decades now? Them trying to sell an all inclusive channel flopped hard cause kf it

2

The_White_Rice 21 hr ago +9

Two years ago they were genuinely white hot, last year’s John Cena heel run really burned a lot of fan good will and it’s been trend of “meh” to “bad” decisions since then.

9

IowaJammer 22 hr ago +12

The industry ebs and flows. This was inevitable. A couple years ago they were boomin' and then the TKO merger happened. They want linear growth and that's just not possible in an industry like this.

12

El_Superbeasto76 22 hr ago +13

The TKO merger is definitely the heart of the problem. They have to have growth in all avenues, all the time. This is why everything is sponsored to an annoying amount and why everything is so stale. They have to be as safe as possible in order to bring in ad dollars.

13

BeefInGR 20 hr ago +7

From the run up to WrestleMania 39 to just after WrestleMania 41 the company had a Golden Age. Incredibly popular and critically acclaimed (which never happens with WWE). Unfortunately this past year has seen a nose dive. Losses would've been worse if it wasn't for John Cena's retirement tour.

7

Hugh-Manatee 22 hr ago +2

I don’t pay close attention enough to have any authority but my impression was that there was a rebound over the last few years

2

Neveroxx99 7 hr ago +1

2023-24 was a short golden age, but then their new corporate overlords didn't understand that you can't keep that type of growth going forever and raised prices to the point where most potential fans are priced out completely, with a worse creative offering. It's basically all self inflicted harm due to greed because the company still has one of the deepest line up of talent in their history. It's also worth noting that profits hasn't take that that big of a hit because they still have a sizeable audience, and again the prices are insane but general interest is way down compared to 2 years ago.

1

Greatsnes 9 hr ago +1

Narrator: it got a whooole lot worse.

1

Deep-Pen420 23 hr ago -9

ESPN is such a sham man, Disney is such a trash company that ruins everything it touches.

-9

Vagamer01 23 hr ago +21

ummm sir that is TKO

21

Jonny-Raze 23 hr ago +11

No sir… it’s both.

11

Deep-Pen420 23 hr ago -9

You think TKO has anything to do with ESPN? For real?

-9

chimatt767 23 hr ago +9

What about this particular news item makes ESPN a trash company?

9

Deep-Pen420 23 hr ago -4

Hmm silencing your own reporters for being honest doesn't really scream integrity...

-4

chimatt767 22 hr ago +8

The WWE blocked his access. Not espn.

8

Deep-Pen420 22 hr ago -4

Still shady and ESPN didn't exactly do anything to counter it, Im sure they could've stepped in and fixed this, they have so much more power than the WWE

-4

RollTh3Maps 14 hr ago +1

Just making shit up to be mad about. lol.

1

This_Elk_1460 23 hr ago

So ESPN shouldn't report on Vince McMahon being a sex pest because?

0

Deep-Pen420 23 hr ago -5

I'm not sure where you got that from what I said. I literally said ESPN and Disney are trash, they'd probably try to hide negative news like that.

-5

RollTh3Maps 23 hr ago +8

This story is about WWE pulling an ESPN reporter’s credentials because of something he covered on ESPN. ESPN may be trash, but they’re not the entity in the wrong here, which is why some people are confused about the relevance of your comment in this specific post.

8

Deep-Pen420 23 hr ago -1

I mean if you think ESPN isn't involved idk what to tell you.

-1

RollTh3Maps 22 hr ago +3

So you’re just shoehorning it in based on vibes. Thought so lol. I’m no fan of ESPN, but WWE are mad specifically about something he reported in ESPN, so I think it’s pretty safe to say that they didn’t hide negative news.

3

Deep-Pen420 22 hr ago -2

Either way, it's shady as f***. It's also the WWE though, not my cup of tea but I imagine that one bad review isn't tanking their audience...

-2

GeddyVedder 23 hr ago +1

Pisses me off that they have the NFL Network now.

1

Deep-Pen420 22 hr ago +2

Yeah fortunately the product that is the NFL is untouched, NFL Network was sort of sliding anyway, they had some good personalities but in the end it was just another network doing pregame and post game shows. I honestly never watch NFL Network unless there is an exclusive game.

2

TasteTheBiscuit1810 22 hr ago +23

A bit stunning considering ESPN has been doing NOTHING but promoting WWE this week. Heck I was watching their NHL Pregame show and they still inserted WWE by having a segment of comparing wrestlers to certain hockey players. Good lord ESPN just sucks at everything they do.

23

Razzler1973 22 hr ago +6

They're still covering it It's just one particular guy isn't covering it They have plenty or others involved

6

TasteTheBiscuit1810 22 hr ago +2

That's not really the point. The fact ESPN would shell out that much money for a product and the product won't let them cover the actual event is bad optics.

2

Razzler1973 21 hr ago +2

The *prahduck* is letting them cover it ESPN is covering it This one person isn't part of that coverage is all

2

Awkward_Cheetah_2480 21 hr ago

It was probably treated in a C level call. No problem. The dude will probably be let go after his contract ends, others will cover the event.

0

Deep-Pen420 22 hr ago +2

It's part of the package, they can pitch the value of the advertisement even though nobody gives a shit about the content.

2

lostinthought15 18 hr ago

Which means ESPN could have pushed back … but clearly they didn’t want to or felt the need to.

0

remdog1007 18 hr ago +5

Why does ESPN cover WWE?

5

debugem 23 hr ago +18

They did him a favor, he can go sit at a bar and watch it and do updates. Its got to be better than the smell of that arena from all the booger eating fans.

18

Middle_Aged_Mayhem 16 hr ago +6

Sports reporters shouldn't be covering this garbage anyway.

6

TheSpaceman1975 23 hr ago +21

Why is ESPN covering scripted entertainment?

21

goonsquadgoose 22 hr ago +15

Because wrestling is about the performance and presentation, not the specific outcomes. That’s pretty obvious.

15

Lint6 20 hr ago +6

> Why is ESPN covering scripted entertainment? What do you think the E in ESPN stands for?

6

TheSpaceman1975 16 hr ago +5

Ok, solid reply. 2 points Griffendor.

5

DonnieRodz 19 hr ago +2

Extreme?

2

buffalotrace 19 hr ago +1

So they can have AI write articles on actual sports

1

Neg_Crepe 23 hr ago +1

Good question.

1

TVCasualtydotorg 19 hr ago +1

ESPN has shown a number of different wrestling promotions a number of times in it's history.

1

mroberto40 22 hr ago -3

Only difference with WWE and other sports is they openly admit they’re scripted not much different than nfl and nba

-3

NextChef8179 16 hr ago +2

Literally proven NBA fixes games and people still believe it lmao.

2

Deep-Pen420 22 hr ago

Disney seems to be on the quantity over quality strategy. They bought up every c**** sports rights they could find, like there was a pickle ball tourny the other day, the viewership was probably awful, but they probably got the rights for peanuts. It's the same shit with the WNBA, nobody cares about the WNBA but as soon as Disney bought the rights you see wnba content being pushed super hard everywhere. They can sell ads on it just based on their base viewership, ie bars, restaurants, airports, hotels etc that just have ESPN on at all times, while also bragging about a "diverse" offering of sports. It's all a sham to collect ad dollars without actually increasing viewership.

0

schil 22 hr ago -6

Yeah next their gonna be covering the circus or the local theater performance.

-6

DonnieRodz 19 hr ago +1

And then complaining about access

1

Chas_P_Anderton 22 hr ago +5

Why would a sports journalist cover the WWE?

5

OneBillPhil 22 hr ago +4

It’s still journalism. Any journalist can cover sports and any sports journalist can cover other topics if that’s their job.

4

Chas_P_Anderton 18 hr ago -2

I suppose a sports journalist could cover an opera or a grocery store opening, so I guess you're correct. Doing so would, however, be a poor use of their particular skills since neither opera, grocery stores or the WWE have anything in common with sports.

-2

OneBillPhil 18 hr ago +3

I’m not a journalist but I assume that it’s all about figuring out how an industry works, who the players are, what to ask.

3

Chas_P_Anderton 17 hr ago

The WWE is more like a touring Broadway show than a sport. It has cast member who play characters and perform in highly scripted acts. There's not much opportunity for journalism here except maybe the business end.

0

OneBillPhil 16 hr ago +1

Dude, there’s so much to report on in wrestling. There’s the business side like you mention. Then the actual quality of the show, discussion about who is performing well. There’s always backstage drama, politics, discussion about who is getting featured in prominent spots. There are websites, some with paid subscriptions that just discuss and report on what is happening in wrestling.

1

Chas_P_Anderton 14 hr ago +2

There’s just as much to report on Cirque du Soleil, so why doesn’t ESPN cover *their* performances?

2

OneBillPhil 7 hr ago +1

Maybe they should? They’re great athletes.

1

THEdoomslayer94 18 hr ago +2

Entertainment is in the name of ESPN so why wouldn’t they?

2

princess_peach_85 21 hr ago +4

The McMahons are sex traffickers

4

kingcolbe 21 hr ago +4

To the people celebrating this I hope you understand the slippery slope we’re heading down

4

NEOK53 21 hr ago +3

Why is an ESPN reporter trying to cover this anyways? It’s a sports network.

3

Crewman_Guy_Fleegman 19 hr ago +3

It’s also an entertainment network. ESPN stands for Entertainment and Sports Programming Network.

3

NEOK53 17 hr ago -1

Fair enough.

-1

THEdoomslayer94 18 hr ago +2

Why wouldn’t they

2

G-DevilOrion2077 22 hr ago +1

You would think ESPN would step in because you know they’re streaming WWE’s biggest event on their service but whatever the heads of this company are in Trump’s cabinet so the cowardice they display is on point when it comes to criticism

1

bcoll85 21 hr ago +1

“you can’t ‘C’ me”

1

milabarken 11 hr ago +1

WWE treating ESPN like a jobber now

1

milabarken 11 hr ago +1

WWE's got beef with ESPN now? This feud writes itself.

1

Pineapple-Pizzaz 19 hr ago +2

WWE is a massively unethical company. AEW is definitely a better option.

2

FictionFantom 16 hr ago +1

Which is also owned by a billionaire.

1

Pineapple-Pizzaz 10 hr ago +1

I didn't say it was perfect. I said it was better. At least the owner isn't simping for Trump and RFK Jr. in videos.

1

InnocentPrimeMate 21 hr ago +1

Denied credentials for a fake sport ? And no, I didn’t read the article

1

BrondellSwashbuckle 18 hr ago +1

Why does ESPN cover a fake sport anyways?

1

MJH-B 22 hr ago

Working for ESPN, he should be covering actual sports anyways. Not what equates to the wild west stunt show at an amusement park.

0

goonsquadgoose 22 hr ago +2

You really have no idea what it takes to be a wrestler. Athletically and physically speaking, it’s harder than football, baseball or basketball. There’s a reason wrestlers have more injuries and a lower life expectancy than any other sport.

2

MJH-B 21 hr ago

Doesn't make it a sport. Sure, it takes athleticism. Nobody is denying that, but when you have "writers" and it is staged, it is not a sport. They are stunt performers. It is a soap opera stunt show.

0

NoTitleChamp 11 hr ago

"Not what equates to the wild west stunt show at an amusement park." Acting like it's the 80s.

0

realparkingbrake 19 hr ago

Oh no, so he'll have to go cover actual sports rather than scripted performances with pre-arranged outcomes.

0

CrashingOutFrFr 1 day ago -7

That's unfortunate. Who?

-7

MrMansaMusa 23 hr ago +17

The dude who gave the first ESPN wrestlepalooza event a well deserved C grade.

17

VDJ10 23 hr ago +15

It deserved less than that C was him being generous for ESPN’s sake.

15

Neg_Crepe 23 hr ago -2

It was fine. We’ve seen better we’ve seen worse. C or C+ was a good note for it

-2

oh_please_god_no 23 hr ago +4

And he covered Janel Grant a lot iirc

4

whichwitch9 23 hr ago +26

Someone trying to do his job and have integrity rather than be famous. You know, people we should be remembering and paying more attention to than we do tacky D listers with good PR connections

26

Neg_Crepe 23 hr ago -11

If he wasn’t trying to be famous he wouldn’t have tweeted about it

-11

RollTh3Maps 23 hr ago +6

Reporter reports on something: “OMG what an attention w****!” What a strange reaction.

6

Etzell 23 hr ago +4

It's literally his job to report on things, and reporting that a company is preventing him from doing that falls under the job description.

4

Neg_Crepe 23 hr ago -6

Not really. It’s completely irrelevant if a sport journalist can’t cover an entertainment ppv. The reality is that he’s a AEW fan and he’s a tribalistic member of their fandom. He was just trying to illicit a reaction from aew fans and he got it. The sickos is what they called themselves.. This thread is full of them already.

-6

ThisVeryUsername 23 hr ago +6

Is Google down or were you unable to read the attached article?

6

Neg_Crepe 23 hr ago -7

A nobody

-7

PigSlam 23 hr ago -5

I’ve stopped watching ESPN because I’m sick of their attempts to mix sports coverage with wrestling coverage. Edit: I hope those offended by my saying so can find some way to get on with their lives.

-5

brokenman82 21 hr ago +2

I love wrestling and I hate that it’s on ESPN 👍

2

ESPN Reporter Andreas Hale Says WWE Denied His Credentials And Blocked His Access For WrestleMania 42

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