The landmark rights agreement between ESPN and WWE will launch ahead of schedule, the companies announced on Aug. 20.
The new partnership will debut with the first-ever Wrestlepalooza event on Sept. 20, live from Gainbridge Fieldhouse in downtown Indianapolis.
WWE superstar John Cena will headline the event in what is being promoted as his final wrestling appearance in Indianapolis. The card will also feature major matches involving Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes, World Heavyweight Champion Seth Rollins and WWE Women’s Intercontinental Champion Becky Lynch.
Wrestlepalooza will stream live on ESPN’s new direct-to-consumer (DTC) service. The event marks the official start of ESPN becoming the exclusive U.S. domestic home for all WWE Premium Live Events (PLEs). These events will be available to subscribers of the ESPN DTC unlimited plan.
“On Sept. 20, WWE and ESPN are coming together for a can’t-miss event,” WWE Chief Content Officer Paul “Triple H” Levesque said. “It is like getting Christmas early. The whole thing starts now. Nobody creates bigger events than the WWE, and nobody presents big events to fans like ESPN.”
The choice of Indianapolis follows the record-breaking success of the 2025 Royal Rumble at Lucas Oil Stadium. Patrick Talty, President of Indiana Sports Corp, said the city is proud to host another groundbreaking WWE event.
Tickets for the general public go on sale Friday, Aug. 22, at 10 a.m. ET via Ticketmaster.com. A presale begins Thursday, Aug. 21, at 10 a.m. ET. Premium ticket packages are also available through On Location.
The ESPN DTC service, featuring the enhanced ESPN App, officially launches on Aug. 21.
For Wrestlepalooza tickets, visit Ticketmaster here.
Contact Multi-Media & Senior Sports Reporter Noral Parham at 317-762-7846. Follow him on TikTok and Facebook @HorsemenSportsMedia. For more sports from the Indianapolis Recorder, click here.
Noral Parham is the multi-media & senior sports reporter for the Indianapolis Recorder, one of the oldest Black publications in the country. Parham has worked with various leagues to provide a diverse perspective in sports, including the Big Ten, Big East, IHSAA, IndyCar, MLB, NHRA, NFL, NBA, WNBA, WWE and the Olympics. Prior to joining the Recorder, Parham served as the community advocate of the MLK Center in Indianapolis and senior copywriter for an e-commerce and marketing firm in Denver.
