WWE’s blockbuster ESPN deal caught many by surprise, including new WWE Champion Cody Rhodes. Speaking during his ESPN SportsCenter appearance, Rhodes shared that despite being a top name within the promotion, he was only given a few hours notice before the news broke.
“We were also talking off air—complete secrecy with this thing. They just gave me the Iggy. They said, ‘Hey…just be ready. There’s something’s going to happen on Wednesday, and look at this to be part of this family.’ What an honor.”
This sense of secrecy wasn’t confined to Rhodes alone. Instead, the secrecy extended throughout WWE’s roster, with talent placed “on standby” without knowing what was coming.
“I wasn’t going to tell anyone, you know. I didn’t know. You were like, we were all put on standby.”
The level of confidentiality speaks to the magnitude of the deal, which will bring WrestleMania, Royal Rumble, and Money in the Bank to ESPN platforms starting in 2026. The partnership represents one of WWE’s most significant business moves as the company continues its record-breaking momentum.
Even Rhodes, now in his second reign as WWE Champion, was kept largely in the dark until the final moment. This serves as a testament to WWE’s commitment to controlling the narrative around what he called “the perfect match” between sports entertainment and ESPN.