WWE Slammed for Ad-Heavy Broadcast During WrestleMania 42

When you turn on a sporting event, you expect commercials.

You expect ads.

If a segment is tied to a fast food restaurant or a car insurance company, it’s second nature when it comes to the world of sports in 2026.

But even fans who are battle-tested with an avalanche of commercials are talking about the overload of advertisements on WrestleMania 42. And they paid extra to watch it.

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While the first hour was on ESPN2 in the United States, the number of commercials didn’t stop once it moved to the premium service online, as everything from the matches to the breaks to even the fans outside the ring was tied to an ad.

There’s a section of fans cheering. Wait, no, that’s the Drumstick Ice Cream Fan Zone Area of Awesomeness.

Oh, there’s an actor dressed up as the Mandalorian with a small puppet Grogu to promote their new movie in a commercial.

There’s Street Fighter. There’s Mortal Kombat. Here are a few wrestlers in a DoorDash commercial.

After each match, there was a string of commercials, unlike in the past, when WrestleMania felt like a live-action story told throughout the night.

Whereas before there were numerous backstage segments to piece together the matches, WrestleMania 42 on the opening night has been a series of bouts intermixed with commercials woven in, around, and behind them.

Along with the advertisements, the show has been dominated by celebrities, with look-ins at the known names around the ring almost every time they return from their commercial break.

It’s only night one, but fans are already bubbling with frustration for the biggest weekend of the year for the WWE. It’ll be up to the marquee matches and the main events to deliver to quiet the critics following an up-and-down first half of WrestleMania Saturday.

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This story was originally published April 18, 2026 at 5:51 PM.