World Wrestling Entertainment and the Walt Disney Company-owned ESPN are kick-starting their partnership earlier than expected.
On Wednesday, Disney announced that WWE Premium Live Events will debut on all ESPN platforms starting on Sept. 20. The pair is getting into the ring together for WWE’s first-ever Wrestlepalooza.
The live event will take place at the Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Indiana. This is also the host city of the 2025 Royal Rumble, which set the event’s all-time attendance record.
“On Sept. 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 a statement obtained by KTLA 5. “The biggest Superstars in WWE. The biggest brand in sports media. Are you ready?”
Wrestlepalooza will stream live on the new ESPN direct-to-consumer streaming service, beginning at 7 p.m. EST/ 4 p.m. PST.
The event will feature a blockbuster headline attraction with John Cena, “The American Nightmare” Cody Rhodes, Seth Rollins, Becky Lynch, CM Punk and Drew McIntyre “in major matches throughout the night.” This event, held in partnership with Indiana Sports Corp, will mark the last time Cena wrestles in Indianapolis. The “Peacemaker” actor is currently on a retirement tour that’s set to end later this year.
Starting next month, ESPN will become the exclusive U.S. domestic home of all WWE PLEs, with all PLEs available to ESPN DTC subscribers with the unlimited plan. Upcoming PLEs this year include Crown Jewel on Oct. 11 and Survivor Series on Nov. 29.
Tickets for Wrestlepalooza will go on sale starting Aug. 22 at 10 a.m. EST/7 a.m. PST via Ticketmaster.com. Presales will begin Aug. 21 at 10 a.m. EST/ 7 a.m. PST.
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