AEW All In London | ESPN-WWE report | WWE Merger Settlement | Pollock & Thurston
Pollock and Thurston discuss the WWE merger settlement ($147.5 million), the retraction of an ESPN-WWE renewal story, AEW's All In London ticket sales approaching 43,000, and various industry developments including Nielsen's new ratings methodology and the ongoing Paramount-WBD merger settlement talks.
Summary
The episode opens with discussion of the WWE merger settlement involving the Laborers District Council Pension Fund and Dennis Palkin. A 46-page settlement document was filed showing a $147.5 million cash settlement, with plaintiff attorneys entitled to up to 33% in fees and a $5,000 incentive award to the Ohio Laborers Pension Fund and Dennis Palkin. The defendants, including Vince McMahon, Nick Kahn, and Paul Levesque, maintain they engaged in no wrongdoing and are settling solely to avoid litigation costs. The settlement defines the class as WWE shareholders who held stock on the merger closing date of September 12, 2023, with payouts estimated under $2 per share. Intra-defendant disputes between WWE and Vince McMahon regarding indemnification and insurance remain preserved but undisclosed. Thurston notes this settlement reached $147.5 million, equivalent to approximately three weeks of Paramount's ticking fees ($7 million daily post-October 1st).
The hosts extensively analyze the retraction of a BJ Bethel story from SE Scoops reporting WWE and ESPN would not renew their $1.6 billion five-year deal. ESPN strongly denied the report, stating Bethel never contacted them properly, only using a fan support contact form and phone number. SE Scoops retracted the story, acknowledging the verification process fell short and parting ways with Bethel. Thurston emphasizes the importance of reaching direct contacts, noting ESPN's strong denial makes the story difficult to defend. The hosts discuss journalistic standards for vetting stories with multiple sources and having editorial oversight.
Regarding AEW All In London at Wembley Stadium, ticket sales have reached 43,017 according to WrestleTix data. Will Ospreay stated his goal is to reach 50,000 attendees, which would be the largest crowd for a main event he's headlined. Thurston projects the event will land just under 50,000 based on typical trajectory patterns. The hosts note this would make it one of the largest non-WWE North American wrestling events ever, comparable to WrestleMania's 50,033 attendance at night two this year. Ospreay's involvement in both Wembley shows creates a narrative parallel with Kenny Omega.
The episode covers the Paramount-WBD merger settlement discussions, where California AG Rob Bonta canceled Monday talks after Wall Street Journal reporting disclosed confidential settlement discussions. Bonta accused Paramount of leaking information and misrepresenting discussions, while Paramount denied being the leak source. The states reportedly seek divestitures of cable properties like TBS and TNT. The October 1st ticking fee ($7 million daily) and March 2025 trial date pressure Paramount to settle, as does the June merger agreement expiration deadline.
The hosts discuss Linda McMahon's appearance on CNN where she cited a statistic that one in ten children are sexually molested in school before high school graduation, claiming this came from a study she conducted. This statistic was widely debunked. The irony is noted given McMahon's ongoing involvement as a defendant in the ring boy lawsuit, where allegations of sexual misconduct by a WWE employee toward a minor are being litigated. McMahon emphasized strict enforcement against teachers who fail to report abuse.
Omari Palmer's defamation case against his former girlfriend remains inactive, with a judge issuing a notice requiring activity within 60 days (by early October) or the case faces dismissal. Palmer was fired from WWE after domestic abuse allegations and has since worked with All Japan and MLW.
Nielsen's new measurement methodology beginning August 31st has upset the NFL, which benefited from Nielsen's Big Data Plus panel showing record viewership last season (18.7 million average, up 10%). The NFL expressed concerns about the rushed methodology changes, citing potential negative impacts on sports ratings. Nielsen claims to be delivering the most accurate TV measurement, but the NFL wants more time to assess impact. Thurston notes Nielsen has sued competitors and argues the industry needs third-party competition to prevent monopolistic practices and ensure accurate measurement across traditional TV and streaming platforms.
About this episode
<p><a href="https://bsky.app/profile/iamjohnpollock.bsky.social" rel="nofollow"><strong>John Pollock</strong></a><span> and </span><a href="https://bsky.app/profile/brandonthurston.bsky.social" rel="nofollow"><strong>Brandon Thurston</strong></a><span> look at the latest figures for AEW All In London, WWE merger lawsuit update, and ESPN’s denial of a report that it won’t renew WWE once its deal expires. </span></p><p><strong>VIDEO VERSION: </strong><a href="https://youtube.com/live/H3njxz5jjzs" rel="nofollow"><strong>https://youtube.com/live/H3njxz5jjzs</strong></a></p><p><span>Topics this week include:</span></p><ul><li><span>WWE merger lawsuit update</span></li><li><span>AEW All In London this weekend </span></li><li><span>How this weekend’s attendance compares to biggest non-WWE shows </span></li><li><span>Will Ospreay aiming for 50,000 tickets </span></li><li><span>ESPN denies report it won’t be renewing WWE deal</span></li><li><span>ESPN Unlimited raising its prices </span></li><li><a href="https://www.cnn.com/2026/08/24/business/california-cancels-meeting-paramount-warner-merger-intl" rel="nofollow">Rob Bonta calls off settlement talks with Paramount</a><span> </span></li><li><span>Linda McMahon’s comments about sexual abuse in schools</span></li><li><a href="https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/49673448/nfl-complains-changes-nielsen-tv-ratings-measurements" rel="nofollow">NFL complains about changes to Nielsen</a><span> </span></li><li><span>Palmer v. Nunez update</span></li></ul><p><br /></p><p><em>Music courtesy: </em><a href="https://soundcloud.com/IAmBenTramer" rel="nofollow"><em>“Panic Beat” by Ben Tramer</em></a></p><p><strong>POST Wrestling</strong></p><p><strong>Subscribe: </strong><a href="https://postwrestling.com/subscribe" rel="nofollow"><strong>https://postwrestling.com/subscribe</strong></a></p><p><strong>Patreon: </strong><a href="http://postwrestlingcafe.com" rel="nofollow"><strong>http://postwrestlingcafe.com</strong></a></p><p><strong>Forum: </strong><a href="https://forum.postwrestling.com/" rel="nofollow"><strong>https://forum.postwrestling.com</strong></a></p><p><strong>Discord: </strong><a href="https://discord.com/invite/Q795HhR" rel="nofollow"><strong>https://discord.com/invite/Q795HhR</strong></a></p><p><a href="http://www.twitter.com/POSTwrestling" rel="nofollow"><strong>Twitter</strong></a><span>/</span><a href="http://www.facebook.com/POSTwrestling" rel="nofollow"><strong>Facebook</strong></a><span>/</span><a href="http://www.instagram.com/POSTwrestling" rel="nofollow"><strong>Instagram</strong></a><span>/</span><a href="http://www.youtube.com/POSTwrestling" rel="nofollow"><strong>YouTube</strong></a><strong>: @POSTwrestling</strong></p><p><strong>Bluesky: </strong><a href="https://bsky.app/profile/postwrestling.com" rel="nofollow"><strong>https://bsky.app/profile/postwrestling.com</strong></a></p><p><br /></p><p><strong>Wrestlenomics</strong></p><p><strong>Subscribe: </strong><a href="https://wrestlenomics.com/podcast/" rel="nofollow"><strong>https://wrestlenomics.com/podcast/</strong></a></p><p><strong>Patreon: </strong><a href="https://patreon.com/wrestlenomics" rel="nofollow"><strong>https://patreon.com/wrestlenomics</strong></a></p><p><strong>Substack: </strong><a href="https://wrestlenomics.substack.com/" rel="nofollow"><strong>https://wrestlenomics.substack.com/</strong></a></p><p><a href="http://www.twitter.com/wrestlenomics" rel="nofollow"><strong>Twitter</strong></a><span>/</span><a href="http://www.facebook.com/wrestlenomics" rel="nofollow"><strong>Facebook</strong></a><span>/</span><a href="http://www.instagram.com/wrestlenomics" rel="nofollow"><strong>Instagram</strong></a><span>/</span><a href="http://www.youtube.com/wrestlenomics" rel="nofollow"><strong>YouTube</strong></a><strong>: @Wrestlenomics</strong></p><p><strong>Bluesky: </strong><a href="https://bsky.app/profile/wrestlenomics.com" rel="nofollow"><strong>https://bsky.app/profile/wrestlenomics.com</strong></a></p><p><br /></p><br /><br />Advertising Inquiries: <a href="https://redcircle.com/brands">https://redcircle.com/brands</a><br /><br />Privacy & Opt-Out: <a href="https://redcircle.com/privacy">https://redcircle.com/privacy</a>
Key Insights
- The $147.5 million WWE merger settlement includes 33% of the fund going to plaintiff attorneys, estimated at $40 million, demonstrating why merger lawsuits are pursued by law firms despite settling before trial.
- Defendants in the WWE settlement maintain zero admission of wrongdoing, with the settlement explicitly stated as avoiding litigation costs rather than acknowledging any liability or wrongdoing.
- BJ Bethel's ESPN story relied on a fan support contact form and phone number rather than direct press contacts, and SE Scoops acknowledged this verification fell below their standards before retracting the story.
- ESPN issued a strong public denial of the non-renewal story, stating Bethel never reached them with proper inquiry and claiming no truth to the report, creating immediate credibility damage.
- AEW's All In London is projected to reach just under 50,000 attendees based on typical trajectory patterns, placing it among the top non-WWE wrestling events despite Will Ospreay's stated goal of 50,000.
- Paramount faces approximately $7 million daily in ticking fees beginning October 1st, equivalent to the entire WWE merger settlement amount every three weeks, creating significant pressure to settle WBD merger disputes.
- California AG Rob Bonta canceled settlement talks with Paramount after Wall Street Journal reported confidential discussions, accusing Paramount of leaking and misrepresenting settlement substance.
- Linda McMahon cited a widely-debunked statistic about child sexual abuse in schools during a CNN appearance while simultaneously defending her Education Department enforcement, contrasting with her ongoing defense against ring boy lawsuit allegations.
- Nielsen's August 31st methodology changes upset the NFL, which averaged record viewership of 18.7 million viewers last season under the previous Big Data Plus panel measurement system.
- The NFL stated it cannot fully assess the impact of Nielsen's new methodology on sports ratings and expressed concerns the changes could negatively affect reported viewership numbers.
- Thurston argues Nielsen's aggressive litigation against competitors prevents the industry from developing alternative ratings measurement systems, creating monopolistic control over television audience data.
- The lack of transparent streaming viewership data (such as HBO Max numbers for AEW Dynamite) makes it impossible for advertisers and networks to determine full audience reach across traditional TV and streaming platforms.
Topics
Transcript
There's nothing like the American Express Platinum Card. Find out your welcome offer after you apply, which could be as high as 175,000 points. Learn more and find out your offer at americanexpress.com slash explore dash platinum. Terms apply. Brandon Thurston from WrestleNomics is up next, and we're going to follow Brandon with John Pollock from Post Wrestling. Delivering on the the returns increasing our margins ratings go down the toilet if i'm not here all i do is simply put the math in my favor we agree that brandon and john do good work the reason is simple wrestling economics i've been told the netflix numbers i've been told the metrics a little bit. Probably five different times, I…
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