In recent weeks, rumors have been swirling that WWE Premium Live Events (PLEs) could air on ESPN as early as next month. Specifically, there were reports of a yet-to-be-announced WWE PLE in September that could air on ESPN platforms.
On Wednesday, those rumors and reports were confirmed, and they came with a new wrinkle in the recently signed deal between the two companies.
ESPN and WWE announced Wednesday that they will hold Wrestlepalooza on Saturday, September 20, with the event streamed in the U.S. on ESPN and internationally on Netflix.
A new home. A new PLE. A new era.
An historic partnership, a major step towards the future!!!@WWE Wrestlepalooza from Indianapolis on September 20 will air LIVE on @espn. pic.twitter.com/jNOAN5Lfoc— Triple H (@TripleH) August 20, 2025
As had been speculated, the event’s date was likely chosen in part to compete directly with AEW’s All Out pay-per-view.
The event, which will be held at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, IN, takes its name from a pay-per-view event previously run by Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW), which WWE purchased in 2003.
ESPN also released a statement about the event, confirming that John Cena, Cody Rhodes, Seth Rollins, Becky Lynch, CM Punk, and Drew McIntyre will be involved in the event. While not mentioned, it is safe to assume that part-time WWE announcer Pat McAfee, whose show is based in Indianapolis, will be involved in some capacity.
In the original announcement, ESPN said it would become the exclusive U.S. home of all WWE PLEs beginning in 2026. However, according to this new announcement, ESPN will now take over as the exclusive U.S. home of all WWE PLEs starting with this one instead of next year’s WrestleMania as initially announced. PLEs will also be available to ESPN DTC subscribers with the unlimited plan, including October’s Crown Jewel and November’s Survivor Series.
It had been reported that the arrangement between WWE and Peacock had already reached its total number of required dates. That may have been the reason why ESPN got the green light to take over so much sooner.
ESPN is reportedly paying WWE $325 million annually throughout the five-year deal.
About Sean Keeley
Along with writing for Awful Announcing and The Comeback, Sean is the Managing Editor for Comeback Media. Previously, he created the Syracuse blog Troy Nunes Is An Absolute Magician and wrote 'How To Grow An Orange: The Right Way to Brainwash Your Child Into Rooting for Syracuse.' He has also written non-Syracuse-related things for SB Nation, Curbed, and other outlets. He currently lives in Seattle where he is complaining about bagels. Send tips/comments/complaints to sean@thecomeback.com.