ESPN will broadcast a consolidated version of this past January’s Royal Rumble event on Sunday evening.
The broadcaster is listing a three-hour window for the Rumble event from 8 – 11 p.m. ET on Sunday on the flagship linear channel.
It is the first time that ESPN has aired a premium live event under this new agreement, and it comes three weeks after the Rumble took place in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
On the road to ESPN’s 1st @WrestleMania
Sunday, catch a special presentation of the 2026 #RoyalRumble⁰⁰⭐️ 8p ET | ESPN pic.twitter.com/tixSYQgte0
— ESPN PR (@ESPNPR) February 20, 2026
The January 31 event was 3 hours and 40 minutes, so this version will be condensed due to the three-hour window and accommodating commercial breaks.
The show featured the men’s and women’s Royal Rumble matches, Drew McIntyre defending the Undisputed WWE Championship against Sami Zayn, and AJ Styles putting his career on the line against Gunther.
The news of the Rumble airing on ESPN was first reported by WrestleVotes Radio on Fightful.
ESPN and WWE entered into a five-year partnership for the U.S. rights to its premium live events, worth a reported $325 million per year. The deal kicked off at the Wrestlepalooza event last September in Indianapolis, Indiana.
