|
WrestleMania 42 takes place on Saturday and Sunday, and will be
streamed on the ESPN app for the first time. However, the
opening hour on Saturday will air on ESPN2, while Sunday’s first
hour will air on ESPN. The start time for both nights is 6 p.m.
EDT.
ESPN began airing WWE premium live events on the ESPN Unlimited
streaming service last September. Most major cable, satellite,
and streaming services have reached agreements with Disney that
include an ESPN Unlimited subscription as a part of their TV
plan.
“We think about WrestleMania as a major milestone for us. We’ve
never had it before. It’s really a slice of Americana and a
cultural spectacle that extends well beyond just core wrestling
fans. So we thought it deserved the big-event treatment,” ESPN
president of content Burke Magnus said.
ESPN took over streaming WWE’s major events from Peacock, which
had carried them since March 2021.
A “WrestleMania 42” preview show will air Friday at 5 p.m. EDT
on ESPN2, while countdown shows leading into both nights will be
on either ESPN or ESPN2.
The ESPN app will also air Friday night’s WWE Hall of Fame
ceremony.
This will mark the first time part of the main card will air on
linear television. The first WrestleMania took place in 1985 at
Madison Square Garden in New York.
“We love that the first hour of each night will be on ESPN
linear,” said WWE EVP for talent relations Chris Legentil. “It
gives us the chance to highlight some of our best stuff and then
let people switch over to the app for the rest of the evening.
We see ourselves as the underdog, and so we always relish the
opportunity to showcase our product in a new way to new people.”
Undisputed WWE champion Cody Rhodes defends his title against
Randy Orton in the main event on Saturday. WrestleMania
concludes Sunday night with CM Punk putting his World
Heavyweight title on the line against Roman Reigns.
All contents © copyright 2026 Associated Press. All rights reserved
|
|
