Stephanie McMahon’s recent VPN ad read during her What’s Your Story? podcast has sparked some quiet backlash—especially from ESPN’s side of the table.
According to Fightful Select, “At least one source we spoke to at ESPN ‘wasn’t thrilled’ by the VPN ad read on Stephanie McMahon’s podcast.” The insider added they didn’t expect it to turn into a “major issue” but noted the awkwardness given WWE’s new business relationship with ESPN.
McMahon casually suggested that fans use a VPN to access international Netflix content—where WWE Premium Live Events are included—during a mid-show ad break. The moment came during her interview with Roman Reigns and caught many fans off guard. While the ad seemed like a standard plug, it raised eyebrows for encouraging U.S. fans to potentially bypass ESPN’s $30-per-month PLE model.
That model has already drawn heat from viewers in the U.S., who now must pay for both a Netflix subscription to access weekly WWE programming and a separate ESPN subscription for live events. Meanwhile, fans in countries like the UK get everything through Netflix.
The VPN workaround didn’t sit well with at least one ESPN contact, especially given the price point and exclusivity of their new WWE deal.
Was Stephanie just reading off a script—or was that a not-so-subtle shot at ESPN’s pricing? Please share your thoughts and feedback in the comment section below.