ESPN Reveals Full List Of WWE Stars And Air Dates For Stephanie McMahon's 'Stephanie's Places'

The premiere date for the newest ESPN Original Series has now been set. Stephanie’s Places, produced by Peyton Manning’s Omaha Productions in partnership with ESPN and WWE, will debut Wednesday, March 26 on ESPN+.

The 10-episode series will follow Stephanie McMahon as she explores the pockets of America that helped shape the journeys of some of the most famous names in WWE history. Names like CM Punk, John Cena, Roman Reigns, Rhea Ripley, Stone Cold Steve Austin and the reigning WWE Champion Cody Rhodes.

"WWE has been a part of my life for as long as I can remember,” said Stephanie McMahon. “I’m looking forward to having viewers join me as we visit some of the most iconic stars of past and present, in places of meaning for them, and hear how they overcame adversity to become who they are today.”

“The world of WWE has never been more popular and exciting than it is right now,” said Peyton Manning. “There is no one better than Stephanie to tell the stories of WWE’s greatest stars and uncover the moments that shaped them.”

New episodes of Stephanie’s Places will premiere every Wednesday at 12 a.m. ET on ESPN+ and will also be available to stream on Hulu and Disney+ for Disney Bundle subscribers.

April 2 - The Return of CM Punk

Stephanie McMahon visits her husband and WWE Chief Content Officer, Paul “Triple H” Levesque, at the new WWE Headquarters before she heads to Cleveland for SummerSlam, where she meets up with CM Punk who reflects on his shocking return to the WWE after nearly a decade away from the ring.

April 2 - Cody Rhodes Takes Center Stage

Stephanie meets with “The American Nightmare” Cody Rhodes at the historic Center Stage Theater in Atlanta, the former home of the WCW. Cody shares his unique path to WWE stardom and what he envisions as his legacy.

April 9 - Rhea Ripley’s Rise

Stephanie visits the WWE Performance Center in Orlando where she meets up with Rhea Ripley and the WWE Hall of Famer Shawn Michaels to discuss how the next generation of stars are trained. Later, Rhea surprises Stephanie with a dramatic makeover to prepare for a wild entrance.

April 16 - Stone Cold Rides Again

Stephanie spends a day with Steve Austin at Broken Skull Ranch to learn about how he became ‘Stone Cold’ and life after the WWE. The two end their day with Stephanie experiencing Steve’s newest adventure: off-road racing.

April 23 - The Evolution of Charlotte Flair

Stephanie meets up with the “Queen”, Charlotte Flair at Nassau Coliseum to discuss the origins and evolution of women in the WWE, before they take a helicopter to MetLife to relive her epic WrestleMania 35 arrival.

April 30 - Roman Reigns and The Bloodline

Stephanie hits the open waters of Miami on a yacht with Roman Reigns and “The Bloodline” to discuss the Anoa'i family's wrestling legacy. Stephanie then enjoys some traditional Samoan cuisine alongside the family, including a unique delicacy.

May 7 - Pat McAfee Can’t Be Stopped

Stephanie sits down with Pat McAfee to find out how the art of a WWE “promo” helped him become one of the biggest names in sports and entertainment. A visit to Indianapolis allows Stephanie to pick Pat’s brain and hear his unlikely journey from NFL punter to podcaster and his dream job at WWE.

May 14 - Digging Deep with Undertaker

Stephanie heads to Madison Square Garden, the location of the first WrestleMania, and meets up with The Undertaker. They discuss his career and his own iconic moments at the Garden.

May 21 - Triple H’s Perfect Entrance

Stephanie and Triple H examine the power of an iconic WWE entrance, later they head to Las Vegas to get a first-hand look at the pageantry and spectacle that can only be found at WrestleMania.

May 28 - John Cena’s Final Round

Stephanie meets up with John Cena as he reflects on his incredible 20-plus year sports entertainment journey. She gets a tour of his personal gym and sees how one of the most decorated WWE Superstars of all time stays at the top of his game as he winds down his incredible career.

Stephanie McMahon To Launch WWE Podcast

After stepping down from her role as WWE co-CEO in January 2023, Stephanie McMahon has slowly begun to reconnect with the company and has made several appearances on WWE television since the beginning of the year. She was first seen at the premiere of "WWE Raw" on Netflix, as well as the 2025 WWE Royal Rumble one month later, and was also a guest on the Pat McAfee Show. However, it appears that McMahon intends to remain involved with the promotion, as WrestleVotes is reporting that she is set to debut a new WWE project this upcoming Spring.

There have been many official WWE podcasts in the past, such as "After The Bell" with Corey Graves and "The New Day: Feel The Power," and now McMahon will be adding her name to that list, who will be launching a new podcast series in the near future. McMahon's experience in wrestling industry both on-screen and backstage will undoubtedly make the new show worth listening to, but so far there are no additional details on the official launch date of the podcast, number of episodes, or guests that will appear on the show.

McMahon also has a new ESPN+ series coming out next month named "Stephanie's Places," which will provide viewers with a behind-the-scenes look into the lives of several WWE legends and stars, including Stone Cold Steve Austin, Roman Reigns and Charlotte Flair. "Stephanie's Places" will feature McMahon travelling the country to different locations where she will interview many WWE guests and discover the true stories behind their success. The trailer for the show can be viewed on WWE's official "X" account.

Stephanie McMahon to helm new show on ESPN+

Former WWE exec Stephanie McMahon appeared on the " Pat McAfee Show" on Thursday to announce a new WWE-centric show in partnership with Pro Football HOFer Peyton Manning’s Omaha Productions, ESPN and WWE. The new show, titled “Stephanie's Places,” will be “a part of” Manning’s “Peyton Places” that currently airs on ESPN+ and will see McMahon travel around the country to “to really find out the stories behind the biggest stars in WWE.” The show will air in March and will include appearances from former and current WWE stars including Stone Cold Steve Austin, Charlotte Flair and Roman Reigns.

McMahon, who will host the show, said the goal of “Stephanie's Places” is to “really tell the stories that haven't been told, and to find out more about the people behind the characters.” She said, “These people are all hugely successful, but like most people, they've been knocked around a lot. So how did they overcome the challenges that were put in front of them?” McMahon said she was “really nervous” to be a part of the show as it was her “first step back” into WWE.

McMahon stepped down as WWE co-CEO in January 2023 after her father, Vince, had forced a return the company. “I never stopped being proud, ever," she told McAfee. "I do think I wanted to disappear for a little while, and I kind of did. It was good for me. I needed it, and now I’m back.”

ESPN Is Reportedly Finished With WWE

ESPN has reportedly made the decision to stop airing all WWE content

Dave Meltzer indicated that there are issues between WWE and ESPN as it’s believed that ESPN was a significant part of the WWE Network talks before WWE decided on a deal with NBCU for Peacock. Disney is the parent company of ESPN, and there were rumors at one point of Disney/ESPN potentially being interest in buying WWE. Apparently ESPN found out three weeks ago that they were not getting the WWE Network deal. Meltzer then reported that ESPN has “pretty much shut down” any WWE coverage, and right now no more WWE content is to air on ESPN.

ESPN started airing classic WWE content back in 2020, and often covers significant stories for the company. ESPN launched a WWE subsite in 2016, but it looks like that site is no longer being regularly updated. It was also reported back in February 2020 that WWE and ESPN had talks about potentially moving WWE pay-per-view events to the ESPN+ platform.

ESPN To Air Classic WWE WrestleMania Events

ESPN is set to air classic WWE WrestleMania events to build to WrestleMania 36, according to Variety.

ESPN will air classic WrestleMania events over the next three Sundays, on their flagship cable network, and then on their mobile app.

The first showing will be this Sunday at 7pm ET as ESPN airs WrestleMania XXX from 2014.
Variety noted that this is the latest example of ESPN working to fill its schedule with "unorthodox content" in the wake of the nation's coronavirus pandemic, which has put a stop to many sporting events.

"This unique opportunity is a byproduct of the terrific working relationship we've enjoyed with WWE over the years and the unprecedented circumstances we all find ourselves in," said Burke Magnus, ESPN's Executive Vice President of Programming. "WrestleMania is one of the most popular global events in sports and entertainment and the spectacular content it provides will be a treat for fans."

WWE Reportedly Negotiating With ESPN For Content Streaming On ESPN+

WWE is reportedly having talks with ESPN.

The Wrestling Observer Newsletter reports that the talks would be in regards to WWE content airing on the ESPN+ service. The deal that WWE is likely trying to broker would be similar to the deal UFC has with ESPN, where WWE would sell their rights to air pay-per-views, which would pay more money for the content than WWE could make on its own by selling the content directly to viewers with the WWE Network. The ESPN+ model with UFC is reportedly what opened WWE's eyes to the idea.

The ESPN+ deal could potentially bring more mainstream exposure to WWE's big events and their biggest Superstars. ESPN has proved that when they own rights to a product, they use their various shows to heavily market that product. There's no word yet on how far the talks with ESPN are, but The Observer noted that it looks like the deal has not been agreed on as of this week.

As noted earlier this month at this link, there was no truth to the rumors on WWE possibly talking to Amazon about selling content rights to them. While Amazon might not be interested in WWE, the company has been talking with other potential partners, which would include DAZN, and NBC's Peacock service. ESPN+ was also included in the original report on potential content partners.

The belief was that NBC's Peacock service, which is set to launch later this year, would be the best bet for WWE. TV industry sources recently reported to The Observer that Peacock would look at WWE to be its key initial programming to draw subscribers from the launch moving forward, which would be very similar to how ESPN+ did with UFC. With such a deal with one of these larger streaming services, WWE would be able to get significantly guaranteed money for their big money events, instead of being forced to rely on declining subscription money from the WWE Network.

Roman Reigns Wins First-Ever WWE Award At ESPN's ESPYS, Reigns Comments, Top WWE Stars In Attendance

Roman Reigns just won the first-ever Best WWE Moment award at the 2019 ESPN ESPYS from the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles. Reigns won the award for his "triumphant return to Monday Night RAW" earlier this year following his second battle with leukemia.

The other nominees were Becky Lynch for winning the RAW Women's Title and SmackDown Women's Title at WrestleMania 35, Kofi Kingston for winning the WWE Title at WrestleMania 35, and Ronda Rousey for winning her first RAW Women's Title at SummerSlam 2018.

As we've noted, this was the first time that WWE had an award category at the ESPYS, under the Best Performance category.

"For to me just to be able to be healthy was the only award I needed. This is just so flattering for everyone to kind of lift me up and show me that support system and love from everybody," Reigns said in WWE's announcement on the award. "It was never about awards or anything like that. It was just about awareness, it was just about sharing my story and hopefully someone could use it for a little bit of hope."

WWE noted that Reigns was congratulated during during the red carpet special by Triple H, Stephanie McMahon, the RAW Women's Champion Lynch, and WWE Universal Champion Seth Rollins.

Becky Lynch Becomes First WWE Star To Land ESPN The Magazine Cover

As seen below, Lynch and actress Alison Brie of Netflix's GLOW series are gracing the cover of the "Blockbuster Issue" from ESPN The Magazine. The issue hits newsstands this Friday.

Below is WWE's announcement on the cover, along with the cover photo:

Becky Lynch and Alison Brie to be featured on cover of ESPN The Magazine's "Blockbuster" issue

Becky Lynch has taken over the sports-entertainment scene in the last year, and this Friday, you can find the Raw Women's Champion with actress Alison Brie on the cover of ESPN The Magazine's "Blockbuster" issue.

The new issue focuses on the intersection between Hollywood and sports. Lynch and Brie, who is the star of Netflix's hit comedy show "GLOW" on the 1980s Gorgeous Ladies of Wrestling promotion, got together for an interview about the obstacles they face in their respective industries, the toughness of women, and much more.

The Man is the first WWE Superstar to ever appear on the cover of ESPN The Magazine. Get your hands on the issue when it hits newsstands this Friday.

WWE Receives Its Own Category At This Year's ESPYS

For the first time, WWE is getting a "Best WWE Moment" under the Best Performance category at this year's ESPYS, which will be hosted by Tracy Morgan on July 10 at 8 pm ET on ABC.

The nominees for the award are: Roman Reigns' return after his battle with Leukemia, Becky Lynch wins the WWE RAW and SmackDown Women's Championships at WrestleMania 35, Kofi Kingston wins his first WWE Championship at WrestleMania 35, and Ronda Rousey becomes WWE RAW Women's Champion.

Voting is done by the fans via ESPN's site, which you can do by clicking here.

ESPN Reveals The Concussion Tests Daniel Bryan Has To Undergo After Each Match

ESPN Reveals The Concussion Tests Daniel Bryan Has To Undergo After Each Match
WWE Champion Daniel Bryan recently spoke with ESPN to promote Sunday's WWE Royal Rumble match with AJ Styles. The piece reveals the concussion tests that Bryan undergoes after each match.

Bryan returns to the backstage area after each match and has to go through a series of tests, ending with a math problem. According to ESPN, Bryan must multiply 8 by 3, then multiply that number by 3, and dive it all by 4. If Bryan can't come up with the correct answer, he's not cleared to continue wrestling.

WWE doctors perform these tests on Bryan following any physical activity in the ring. The tests begin with Bryan getting his eyes checked. He then goes through several balance tests, then ends with the math equation. Doctors use the simple tests to make sure Bryan's brain is functioning properly. These show how WWE is not taking any chances with Bryan, who has suffered 10 documented concussions.

"The big concern with concussions is that, this has happened to me in the past, you don't know you had a concussion and your instinct as an athlete is to say, 'Hey, I'm fine, What we do now ensures that doesn't happen."

ESPN notes that WWE put this very specific concussion protocol in place after Bryan was cleared to return to the ring by an independent group of concussion experts, neurologists and neurosurgeons, and WWE medical director Joseph Maroon.

Becky Lynch Becomes The First Woman To Top ESPN's WWE Power Rankings, Lynch Reacts

ESPN announced today that SmackDown Women's Champion Becky Lynch is the first woman to ever top their monthly WWE Power Rankings.

The Man of WWE easily topped the list by nearly sweeping the first-place votes, according to ESPN's Tim Fiorvanti. Lynch ranked #4 on the last set of rankings that was released. ESPN notes that "rankings are based upon the perceived value of a superstar to the on-screen product of WWE, which is determined by the voting of a panel of WWE on ESPN contributors. Number in parentheses indicates first-place votes."

ESPN's Matt Wilansky wrote the following on Lynch for this month's #1 spot: "When you step back and think of Becky's ascent, it's astonishing. We all assumed Charlotte Flair and Ronda Rousey would take the women's evolution to the next level, but it's the SmackDown champ who has the most ardent and passion fan base in the WWE today, and that includes the men. Her beeline to the top of the summit is one of the best wrestling stories of 2018."

This month's rankings saw WWE Intercontinental Champion Seth Rollins come in second. Others on the list are WWE Champion Daniel Bryan at #3, Drew McIntyre, RAW Women's Champion Ronda Rousey, Charlotte Flair, AJ Styles, Dean Ambrose, Randy Orton and WWE Universal Champion Brock Lesnar at #10.

Lynch took to Twitter and wrote the following on topping the list:

The first woman ever to top the ESPN Power Rankings? You’re damn right I am, and we’re only getting warmed up. #IamTheMan

Why Fox Was Attracted To WWE, What Happened With The ESPN - WWE Negotiations, More On TV Deals

Sports Business Daily has a new article looking at how WWE's new deal with Fox marked the end of more than two years of negotiations among TV networks looking to land deals with WWE and the UFC. The article also looks at how two of the top entertainment agencies went head-to-head for their clients - Endeavor worked the five-year $1.5 billion deal between UFC & ESPN while Creative Artists Agency (CAA) crafted the $2.34 billion deal between WWE and NBCUniversal & Fox. Below are a few notes from the piece:

* While considering a future with or without UFC, Fox started looking at other sports content to fill nights on its broadcast network as part of a new strategy that focused on live programming in primetime. It sounds like Fox first started looking at WWE some time in 2017 and Fox insiders were attracted to the consistently high ratings & passionate fanbase that WWE has.

* WWE's negotiation period with NBCU ran until mid-May of this year but officials had already been making the rounds to get to know other TV executives through a series of "get-to-know-you meetings. The networks had one significant issue - Endeavor owns UFC and Endeavor's Ari Emanuel is friends with Vince McMahon, who asked Ari to represent WWE during media talks. Networks did not feel comfortable negotiating with the same person who was working on behalf of two competing sports brands. This was seen as a conflict of interest and networks made it clear to WWE officials. WWE hired CAA, a top rival of Endeavor, soon after a WWE show in Los Angeles during the spring of 2017 where Fox Sports President Eric Shanks pulled Vince to the side to point out the conflict of interest. Fox pushing for the change annoyed Ari and indicated that UFC & Fox would have trouble coming to a deal.

* Stephanie McMahon, Triple H, Co-President George Barrios and Co-President Michelle Wilson met with ESPN executives 4 times from December 2017 through the spring. ESPN had upped their coverage of WWE and was receptive to talks but it was soon clear that a deal was not going to be reached. The issue between ESPN and WWE came down to scheduling as RAW & SmackDown are produced every week and ESPN can't afford to give any sport 52 weeks in a year.

* ESPN did consider WWE programming for their ESPN+ streaming service but that would have directly competed with the WWE Network.

* WWE soon targeted Fox and made it clear they were interested. Fox did the same. Shanks and other Fox executives were shown on camera during a May 2017 RAW show from the Staples Center in Los Angeles. WWE was still in the exclusive window with NBCU, which ran until mid-May, but Stephanie, Triple H and other WWE executives made a point to visit the Fox lot for an informal meet & greet. WWE told Fox executives then that they could not discuss terms of a potential deal until NBC's exclusive window closed but both sides were interested.

* Bonnie Hammer, a longtime friend of WWE's and chairman of the NBCU cable entertainment group, was leading the renewal talks with WWE. Mark Lazarus, chairman of NBC Broadcasting & Sports, oversees all major sports rights negotiations for NBCU but they view WWE as an entertainment property so Hammer led the talks while he was on hand to participate in strategy sessions and offer advice. NBCU officials knew Fox was interested in WWE but they believed WWE ultimately wanted to stay on the USA Network. They also believed WWE fans wanted consistency as they knew where they could go to see RAW on Mondays and SmackDown on Tuesdays.

* WWE had been averaging $130 million per year for each show in previous deals and that figure was considered well below the market value by network executives. WWE officials knew they were negotiating from a strong position and decided to split their TV package in two. CAA told Hammer they wanted $265 million per year for RAW and $200 million per year for SmackDown - a 358% increase. NBCU's exclusive window closed on May 16th and they informed WWE they would take RAW for $265 million but they would not renew SmackDown. The next day WWE executives visited the Fox offices in New York City for the meeting that included Rupert Murdoch. The $205 million per year deal that would move the blue brand back to Fridays was settled on that day as both sides quickly realized they were close to an agreement. WWE signed the five-year SmackDown deal with Fox and renewed a five-year RAW deal with NBCU for USA.

Charlotte Flair To Appear In ESPN's Annual Body Issue

SmackDown Live superstar Charlotte Flair will appear in ESPN's 10th annual Body issue, celebrating the athletic form when it hits newsstands June 29. 

Flair will appear with fellow athletes from various sports, celebrating athletics and healthy bodies by posing in tastefully naked poses. 

Taking to Twitter, the former Women's Champion said it was a huge honour to be selected.

RAW superstar Ronda Rousey posed for the magazine in 2012, during her time with UFC.

The announced athletes taking part will be:

Charlotte Flair (WWE superstar)Saquon Barkley (American Footballer, NY Giants)Adam Rippon (Olympic Figure Skater)Megan Rapinoe (American Soccer Player, Seattle Reign)Breanna Stewart (Basketball Player, Seattle Storm)Sue Bird (Basketball Player, Seattle Storm)Jerry Rice (Retired American Footballer)Greg Norman (Golfer)Jessie Diggins (Cross Country Skier)Tori Bowie (Track and field Athlete)Karl-Anthony Towns (Basketball Player, Minnesota Timberwolves)Dallas Keuchel (Baseball player, Houston Astros)Yasiel Puig (Baseball player, Los Angeles Dodgers)Laura Chamberlain (Softball player)Crystal Dunn (American Soccer Player)Zlatan Ibrahimovic (European Football player, LA Galaxy)

Ric Flair Suing Former Manager Over "30 For 30" Money

Ric Flair claims he was supposed to pocket $25,000 for the ESPN "30 for 30"special on his life -- but his manager stole the money ... and now he's out for legal justice. 

Nature Boy is suing Legacy Talent and Entertainment -- the management company he used from 2009 until October 2017. 

Flair says he had a feeling something fishy was going down behind the scenes so he hired a lawyer to investigate his finances ... and realized he was missing huge amounts of cash. 

Among the missing money ... Flair says he learned Legacy Talent had received $25,000 from First Row Films, the production company behind Flair's "30 for 30" special. Flair claims he was never informed of the payment nor was given his cut. 

He also noticed a $12,000 royalty advance from Jake's Fireworks -- a company he signed an endorsement deal with earlier this year. 

Flair says he reached out to Legacy to find out why he never got the money and was told they were using the funds to pay legal bills. Flair is calling BS, saying he never authorized Legacy to do that. 

Flair says he's owed at least $46,000 -- and he wants his money back, asap. 

Triple H On Ronda Rousey Being Interested In WWE, What WWE Can Learn From Mayweather Vs. McGre

WWE's Triple H recently made an appearance on ESPN's First Take to promote the Mae Young Classic Tournament. You can check out the highlights from "The Game's" interview here below:

What WWE can learn from the promotion behind Mayweather vs. McGregor:

"I think from a promotional standpoint they did a lot of things right. They found two personalities and that's really what this is all about. Floyd will be the first guy to tell you that it's personalities that sells fights, it's what he does, he changed himself from 'Pretty Boy Floyd' to 'Money Mayweather' and that was based around WWE and the culture of changing Hulk Hogan to 'Hollywood Hulk Hogan,' and reinventing yourself. He invented that persona. McGregor created a persona, a lot of it having to do around what, kind of, WWE does and also what Mayweather does.

"When you have personalities like that and you put them in a ring with that type of conflict - it's what we do no a daily basis. But they did it very well. It was a moment in time that I don't think you can replicate. The great things is, I think what people where afraid of was that it wouldn't deliver. I think it did deliver. I think people got an entertaining 10 round fight, it ended up where the educated person would imagine that it'd end up, but I think it was entertaining and it delivered on a lot of levels."

Who he thinks would have the biggest potential for WWE Superstardom: LaVar Ball or Rob Gronkowski:

"LaVar Ball certainly has a pension for winding people up and wanting to see people beat him. I think that's an important factor, but you never know what's going to connect to people. Those personalities - when you look at McGregor, you look at Ronda Rousey, you look at Gronk, you look at LaVar Ball - all those people, what connects them is personalities. Whether you love them or hate them, those personalities drive people. They create a connection and that's really what people pay to see. They're a very few pure boxing fans in the world, there are very few pure MMA aficionados in the world, there are very few pure WWE or NBA or NFL that really admire the intricacies of all that stuff. The personalities drive them, whether that be the team or the individuals."

What are the chances Ronda Rousey could end up in WWE and what could she bring to the table:

"Ronda has been a huge fan of WWE her whole life, she has been very adamant about that. She has done plenty of stuff with us before, I think you're watching a clip of her throwing me that I don't know why you're showing, but yeah she tends to throw me around when I see her - but she's a huge fan. I think she's a huge fan and I think it's something she's definitely interested - I'll throw it out right now, if she's interested I'll give her the opportunity. But we're all about personalities and that's what she brings to the table. I think she has shown it, and you have seen, she has shown it in Hollywood, she has shown it everywhere. Her personality would drive fan interest."

More?

Stephanie McMahon named Stuart Scott ENSPIRE Award Honoree

ESPN will honor individuals and teams for their contributions to humanitarian causes at a ceremony July 11 at L.A. Live.

Laila Ali will host the Sports Humanitarian Awards, which will now have one of its honors named after her father, Muhammad Ali. Golfer Ernie Els, Cardinals receiver Larry Fitzgerald, Flames defenseman Mark Giordano and Mets outfielder Curtis Granderson have been nominated for the Muhammad Ali Sports Humanitarian Award.

There will also be a humanitarian team of the year, a corporate community impact award, a league award, and, finally, an award in the name of the late ESPN anchor Stuart Scott.

The Stuart Scott ENSPIRE Award will honor WWE chief brand officer Stephanie McMahon for her corporate social responsibility efforts, the Orlando City Soccer Club for its initiatives after the Pulse nightclub shooting last year and the Ross Initiative in Sports for Equality (RISE) for its work to foster better race relations.

Proceeds from the event will benefit the Stuart Scott Memorial Cancer Research Fund at the V Foundation. ESPN will also grant another $1 million to the charities of the nominees and winners. More than $1.7 million was distributed from last year's event.

Viewership For XFL Doc

Thursday's "This Was The XFL" ESPN 30 For 30 documentary drew 917,000 viewers for the premiere. The show ranked #8 for the night behind on cable. In comparison, a July 2016 30 For 30 on former MLB players Dwight Gooden & Darryl Strawberry drew 1.196 million viewers while a May 2016 30 For 30 on Cleveland sports drew 844,000 viewers and an April 2016 30 For 30 on the NBA's Orlando Magic teams of the mid-1990s drew 1.509 million viewers.

Triple H Talks UK Championship Possibly Leading To Weekly Show

As noted, Triple H last week announced the United Kingdom Championship tournament at London's O2 Arena. ESPN caught up with The Game to discuss the tournament and what's next, below are some highlights:

The goal of the U.K. Championship tournament:

"That's the goal, is to become a weekly show. Hopefully we can make that work out, a weekly show that can feature the best of the U.K. talent and put that out there in a way that gives talent here a clear path into the WWE. Starting here and moving up the line and going through things. I think that's a huge opportunity and will help everybody down the line."

Trailer Released For ESPN's “This Was The XFL” Documentary

ESPN has released a trailer for the upcoming 30 for 30 documentary “This Was the XFL” which will air on February 2nd at 9 p.m. ET.

XFL was a professional American football league founded by WWE owner Vince McMahon in 1999. It launched in 2001 with eight teams with the intention of being a major professional sports league complement to the offseason of the National Football League. It was unable to find an audience and ceased operation after its debut season in 2001. The XFL was widely viewed as a "colossal failure".

Below is the documentary trailer:

#30for30 returns in February with #ThisWasTheXFL! pic.twitter.com/G1Fd714tLF

— ESPN Films 30 for 30 (@30for30) December 12, 2016

ESPN Films’ 30 for 30 “This Was the XFL” to Premiere in February

Three days before Super Bowl LI, ESPN Films will premiere the 30 for 30 documentary “This Was the XFL,” directed by Charlie Ebersol, chronicling the short-lived, ill-fated pro football league. The documentary, airing on February 2 at 9 p.m. ET on ESPN, tells the story in fascinating, candid, and often rollicking fashion featuring fellow television legends and close friends – Dick Ebersol and Vince McMahon.

A bold challenge, a fearless experiment and ultimately, a spectacular failure. In 2001, sports entertainment titans Ebersol and McMahon launched the XFL. It was hardly the first time a league had tried to compete with the NFL, but the brash audacity of the bid, combined with the personalities and charisma of Ebersol and McMahon and the marketing behemoths of their respective companies — NBC and WWE — captured headlines and a sense of undeniable anticipation about what was to come.

Bringing together a cast of characters ranging from the boardrooms of General Electric to the practice fields of Las Vegas, “This Was the XFL” is the tale of — yes — all that went wrong, but also, how the XFL ended up influencing the way professional team sports are broadcast today. And at the center of it all – a decades long friendship between one of the most significant television executives in media history and the one-of-a-kind WWE impresario. This film will explore how Ebersol and McMahon brought the XFL to life, and why they had to let it go.

“I grew up on the sidelines watching my father and Vince enjoy incredible success with just about everything they touched, and then, along came the XFL,” said director Charlie Ebersol. “I saw them take bold creative risks, face unparalleled success and failure with dignity, but most importantly they maintained and celebrated a friendship where most would have cut and run. I learned more about integrity and character in those 18 months than just about any other time in my life, so when ESPN Films asked if I wanted to tell the story of the XFL, I jumped at the opportunity because I knew that the real story was that of an unbreakable friendship.”

John Dahl, Vice President and Executive Producer, ESPN Films said: “We felt that the colorful personalities and storylines featured throughout the rise and fall of the XFL deserved a more detailed examination, and as Dick Ebersol’s son, Charlie provided a personal understanding of it all. The XFL was a gamble, and even though the league didn’t ultimately succeed, we think audiences will really enjoy this tale of risk and ambition.”

“This Was the XFL” will have its world premiere tomorrow at the DOC NYC film festival in Manhattan. Additional details and ticket information can be found here: http://www.docnyc.net/film/this-was-the-xfl/

source: espnmediazone.com