WWE’s ESPN Era Begins Early: WrestlePalooza Announced For September 20
WWE has officially announced a brand-new premium live event, WrestlePalooza, set for September 20th at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. What makes this event especially historic is that it will mark the first WWE premium live event to stream on ESPN’s new direct-to-consumer platform, kicking off the company’s ESPN era sooner than originally planned.
The Early Switch From Peacock
According to The Hollywood Reporter and PWInsider Elite, WWE and Peacock reached an agreement to end the premium live event portion of their deal ahead of schedule. The switch to ESPN had been expected in 2026, but WWE reportedly fulfilled its contracted number of PLEs faster than anticipated by expanding the calendar in 2025. This cleared the path for ESPN to begin streaming major WWE shows in September 2025 rather than next year.
As part of this revised arrangement:
- ESPN becomes the exclusive U.S. home for WWE premium live events beginning September 20, 2025.
- Crown Jewel and Survivor Series will also stream on ESPN before the end of the year.
- Peacock will pivot to carrying new weekly WWE programming from the main roster instead.
- NXT premium live events remain on Peacock for now.
- Raw stays on Netflix, SmackDown continues on USA Network, with next-day episodes still dropping on Peacock.
The status of WWE’s vast programming library on Peacock remains up in the air and could eventually migrate to ESPN as part of the larger deal.
ESPN’s New Platform Launch
This all ties into ESPN’s upcoming direct-to-consumer streaming service, which officially launches August 21, 2025. WWE’s deal with ESPN is reportedly worth $1.6 billion over five years, underscoring the scale of this early transition and how highly both companies are prioritizing live sports and entertainment content.
From ESPN's Press Room:
John Cena to Headline Massive Main Event at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis
Tickets for Wrestlepalooza On Sale Friday, August 22 at 10am ET/7am PT
Presale Access for Wrestlepalooza Begins Tomorrow at 10am ET/7am PT
August 20, 2025 – ESPN and WWE today announced that WWE Premium Live Events will debut on ESPN platforms beginning September 20, earlier than previously announced.
The first WWE PLE to kick off the ESPN partnership will be the first-ever Wrestlepalooza on Saturday, September 20, live from Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis – host city of the 2025 Royal Rumble®, which set the event’s all-time attendance record. Wrestlepalooza will stream live on the new ESPN direct-to-consumer streaming service, beginning at 7pm ET/4pm PT.
On September 20, ESPN becomes the exclusive U.S. domestic home of all WWE PLEs, with all PLEs available to ESPN DTC subscribers with the unlimited plan. Additional upcoming WWE PLEs this year include Crown Jewel® on Saturday, October 11, and Survivor Series® on Saturday, November 29.
Wrestling.news | Backstage Take
The timing here raises eyebrows. WWE fans were told the ESPN move wouldn’t happen until 2026, yet we’re suddenly weeks away from WrestlePalooza streaming live on ESPN’s new service. Whether this was driven by behind-the-scenes business maneuvering, ESPN’s urgency to boost its platform launch, or WWE’s accelerated event calendar, the decision feels like it came together fast. Wrestling.news will be investigating further and posting updates as more details emerge. One thing’s for sure: WWE just set the tone for an aggressive content war this fall, right as AEW loads up its own calendar.
