By: Luis Angel Perez Martinez
In the current world of professional wrestling, it’s quite difficult to afford to watch wrestling regularly, especially World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE). The main issue is that you need a lot of money to continue watching wrestling, as it requires multiple streaming services to catch weekly shows, and ticket prices. This can discourage people from sticking with the current product long-term due to the costs, especially if fans are not interested.
The ratings show how many people are tuning out the product, as some of their weekly shows are experiencing a decline in viewership. According to PW Torch, the Sept. 29 episode of SmackDown averaged 1,238,000 viewers, over 100,000 fewer than the previous week. Compared to two years ago, it has dropped by 49%.
ESPN even gave WWE’s first Pay-Per-View on ESPN a letter grade of C.
According to Andreas Hale from ESPN, he said, “The excellent Vaquer vs Sky match saved the show from being truly average. It was a phenomenal display inside the squared circle. Everything else was either underwhelming (the short Rhodes-McIntyre match) or a setup for a future match (Lesnar dominating Cena). For a card that promised epic moments, it fell a bit short of expectations,” Hale said.
This all comes at a cost, as many fans have to spend a significant amount just to watch WWE’s weekly television show.
The best way to watch WWE now is through cable or streaming services that air live broadcasts of “SmackDown” and “NXT” (their developmental brand), which are on USA Network and The CW, respectively. Additionally, for their weekly Monday show, “Raw,” a Netflix subscription is required, costing approximately $7.99 per month with ads. This doesn’t include their major live events, which are heavily promoted on TV. To watch these, you need an ESPN subscription, which can be obtained either through your cable provider or for $29.99 per month. Plus, if there’s a “TV” special or an NXT PLE, you’ll need a Peacock subscription, which starts at $7.99 a month with ads.
Overall, being a WWE fan in 2025 could cost between $93 and $123 or more each month, depending on your choice of services. This estimate is based on a Hulu+Live TV package that starts at $76.99 per month.
This wasn’t always the case. When WWE started hosting pay-per-views, beginning with their first major event, “WrestleMania III” in 1987, the cost ranged from $19.95 to $29.95, depending on your location or provider. Before that, PPVs were shown via Closed Circuit TV, meaning you could attend the event in person or watch it at a movie theater or screening for a very low price.
This trend continued through the 80s and into the 90s until 1995. That’s when WWE introduced the “In Your House” series, featuring smaller pay-per-views at a lower price—$19.95. The four biggest shows—Royal Rumble, WrestleMania, SummerSlam, and Survivor Series—charged $29.95, while “In Your House” events were $19.95. This pricing structure stayed in place until 1997.
In 1997, all pay-per-views cost $29.95; however, prices increased over the 2000s and 2010s, reaching $45.99 and even $59.95 for WrestleMania, starting with WrestleMania 26 in 2011.
In 2014, WWE launched the WWE Network, which changed the way fans watched wrestling. It was a game-changer because viewers could access pay-per-views, archives, and other WWE content for only $9.99 a month. It was very popular, and for nearly a decade, it made all their archives and live events easily accessible via apps on phones and TVs.
Many fans felt excited about the new pricing..
“I can’t wait for the launch of the WWE Network. I was surprised when I watched it live and found out that it is only $9.99 a month with a 6-month subscription. I’m ready,” said by a commentator on YouTube.
Later, in 2021, WWE partnered with Peacock, an NBCUniversal streaming service, making its archives and pay-per-views exclusive to that platform.
Some fans appreciate the affordability of watching WWE on Peacock, while others prefer to stick with the WWE Network.
Fans have expressed their concerns with the change in networking.
“Per the 4-month tier- Wrestlemania for $2.50!?!!? This is f’ing madness,” said BadNewsBrown on Reddit.
Another commentator on YouTube states, “Oh yeah, I love everything WWE has. Dreams do come true. But sadly, WWE Network is on Peacock.”
The WWE Network officially shut down in the US on April 4, 2021. To watch WWE content on Peacock, you need the Peacock Premium tier, which costs around $4.99 a month with ads. This price increased to $7.99 in July 2023 and 2024.
In January 2024, WWE announced that starting in January 2025, “Monday Night Raw” will be streamed exclusively live on Netflix. Many fans were okay with the change, mainly because Netflix is very popular in today’s pop culture and media; what they’re more interested in is how the product could change. Fans hope the product will evolve and become edgier, offering more flexibility compared to a traditional TV broadcast.
Later that year, in August 2025, WWE reached a deal with ESPN to broadcast future pay-per-views on the ESPN app. Although supposed to start at the beginning of 2026, WWE delayed it to late September, with “Wrestlepalooza” as their first pay-per-view under the new deal.
This news upset many fans because it’s now harder to afford WWE. Fans have to subscribe to multiple services, and ticket prices for live shows are skyrocketing—often over $500 for seats in the 100s or 200s sections. It leaves fans feeling undervalued and gives the impression that WWE prioritizes money over their experience. Fans are saying:
“I speak for everyone when I say that we will NOT be paying $30 to watch it on ESPN,” said by an Instagram commentator.
Today, fans have many options for wrestling entertainment, including rival company All Elite Wrestling and the indie scene. These promotions can offer viewers something unique that is totally different from what WWE currently provides, which often features well-known wrestlers. Wrestling generally doesn’t cost much to watch or attend.
The problem is that WWE has set a high price standard for everything—TV and live events—making it easy for people to lose interest and switch to other options.
But there are alternatives for fans who aren’t interested in the current product and want something new. I personally watch all kinds of wrestling perspectives. Sometimes I’ve felt like stepping away from mainstream wrestling, but I can always find something new that interests me and keeps me hooked. I mainly support the indie scene because it’s cheaper to attend their events and allows direct interaction with the wrestlers, which provides a chance to connect with them personally.
The rise in prices worries me, but I’m not overly concerned about the future of pro wrestling; WWE will probably be most affected by these price hikes as fans start to turn away.