TKO’s Mark Shapiro admits ESPN Unlimited pricing hurting WWE viewership

Mark Shapiro, the President and Chief Operating Officer of TKO Group, admitted yesterday that the ESPN Unlimited pricing is hurting their fan base, but remains committed especially knowing that ESPN Unlimited will soon be fully integrated with all major cable and streaming companies.

Speaking at the annual Morgan Stanley Technology, Media & Telecom Conference, Shapiro said they’re playing the “long game” with ESPN, describing the streaming service as the ultimate package for a sports fan.

He said that the situation will get better for them once Dish, YouTube, and a few other operators fully integrate their service for free.

Shapiro described the $29.99 monthly fee as “somewhat prohibitive,” especially in today’s economy, and makes it difficult for the low and middle income earners to afford.

“They have to get those deals done. Until they do, that will affect our audience,” he said.

Shapiro said that they had a notable increase for the Elimination Chamber compared to Wrestlepalooza and while they’re not where they were a year ago with Netflix or Peacock, numbers remain encouraging.