WWE and ESPN have confirmed that the first hour of WrestleMania 42 will air live on cable television each night, giving fans who don't subscribe to ESPN Unlimited a free look at the opening of the biggest event of the year.
Saturday, April 18 will see the first hour simulcast on ESPN2, while Sunday, April 19's opening hour will air on the flagship ESPN network. Both nights kick off at 6 p.m. ET from Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas. The remainder of each night will be available exclusively to ESPN Unlimited subscribers.
The linear TV window is a significant move for accessibility. WrestleMania 42 marks ESPN's first WrestleMania since acquiring the domestic streaming rights to all WWE Premium Live Events as part of a five-year, $1.6 billion deal announced in August 2025.
The move to put a portion of the event on free cable mirrors the approach ESPN has taken with other major sports properties and could help draw casual viewers into the full broadcast.
How To Watch WrestleMania 42
Fans have multiple options to access the full two-night event. The ESPN Unlimited plan ($29.99/month) is the primary home for all WWE PLEs in the U.S. and streams through the ESPN App.
Xfinity subscribers can now authenticate ESPN Unlimited access at no additional cost through eligible TV packages, joining providers like Charter Spectrum, DirecTV, Hulu + Live TV, and Fubo that are already fully integrated. YouTube TV subscribers are still waiting for full access, which is not expected until later this year.
WWE PLEs have also been made available on Disney+ as part of ESPN's broader content rollout strategy. Internationally, WrestleMania 42 will stream on Netflix.
The WrestleMania 42 match card continues to take shape with Roman Reigns challenging CM Punk for the World Heavyweight Championship confirmed as the Sunday night main event.
Saturday's Elimination Chamber will determine additional title challengers, and Brock Lesnar has issued an open challenge that remains unanswered heading into the final stretch of the Road to WrestleMania.
