WWE fans will get a first taste of the company’s new partnership with ESPN this fall.
On Wednesday, WWE and ESPN revealed that the first premium live event on ESPN platforms will be the first-ever Wrestlepalooza, with a main event featuring WWE legend John Cena.
The two companies also revealed that the Crown Jewel PLE in Perth, Australia, will take place on Oct. 11, followed by Survivor Series: War Games in San Diego on Nov. 29:
Earlier this month, it was announced that WWE and ESPN reached an agreement for the broadcaster to become the exclusive home of premium live events starting in 2026. The deal reportedly was for a whopping total of $1.625 billion over five years, with an annual value of $325 million.
The partnership warranted the creation of a new PLE with Wrestlepalooza. In recent years, September’s PLE seemed to be relatively flexible, with No Mercy, Clash at the Castle and Extreme Rules all taking a turn as the main attraction for that month.
In addition to Cena being the headliner for Wrestlepalooza, a release revealed that Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes, World Heavyweight Champion Seth Rollins, WWE Women’s Intercontinental Champion Becky Lynch, CM Punk and Drew McIntyre will all be featured “in major matches throughout the night.” Wrestlepalooza will be held at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, marking the last time Cena wrestles in the city before his retirement later this year.
“On September 20, WWE and ESPN are coming together for a can’t-miss event to kick off our new partnership,” WWE Chief Content Officer Paul “Triple H” Levesque said in the release. “The biggest Superstars in WWE. The biggest brand in sports media. Are you ready?”
Wrestlepalooza and all future WWE PLEs will be available to stream on ESPN’s new direct-to-consumer service, which will officially debut on Thursday.
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