WWE may begin airing content on ESPN next month, prior to the official 2026 start date of their new media rights agreement.
According to a report published Sunday by PWInsider, discussions are underway for an unannounced WWE Premium Live Event (PLE), tentatively scheduled for Saturday, September 20, to be broadcast utilizing ESPN platforms.
This broadcast would precede the official commencement of the multi-year agreement announced earlier this month. That deal establishes ESPN platforms, including their forthcoming Direct-to-Consumer (DTC) streaming service, as the exclusive U.S. domestic distributor for WWE PLEs starting in 2026. WWE PLEs currently stream on NBCUniversal’s Peacock.
PWInsider reported that the potential September broadcast was described as “a preview of the type of programming WWE will bring to that new partnership.”
The reported date coincides with All Elite Wrestling’s (AEW) scheduled All Out pay-per-view.
This report comes during a period of transition for WWE’s media distribution. WWE’s Monday Night Raw is scheduled to move to Netflix in January 2025, and SmackDown will return to the USA Network this fall.
Reports indicate that official plans for the September PLE, including finalized broadcast details and location, are expected to be announced this week. ESPN did not provide a comment when contacted by PWInsider.
Rumored Event Details
Speculation regarding the event includes a potential name. The social media account WrestleVotes strongly hinted that “Wrestlepalooza” will be the name of the show. This name was previously used for events by the Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW) promotion between 1995 and 2000.
Reports also indicate the proposed main event for the PLE is Brock Lesnar versus John Cena. The storyline between the two performers was renewed at SummerSlam earlier this month. Lesnar, making his first appearance on WWE television in two years, returned after the main event and performed an F5 maneuver on Cena. Lesnar has not appeared since that interaction. Cena is currently scheduled to face Logan Paul at WWE Clash in Paris on August 31.
Broadcast Considerations and College Football
The timing of the reported event presents potential scheduling conflicts. The 2025 College Football season begins on Saturday, August 23, and September 20 is a Saturday during the active season.
ESPN’s primary linear channels typically broadcast college football games on Saturday nights. Due to these potential conflicts, if the event proceeds under the ESPN umbrella, it might be broadcast on a secondary channel, such as ESPN2, or streamed via ESPN+.
