ESPN recently adjusted its broadcast format for WWE’s SummerSlam premium live event (PLE) last weekend in 2026. Unlike past WWE PLEs, ESPN did not air the first hour of either night for free on ESPN or ESPN2. Sean Ross Sapp addressed a fan question about this topic during the latest edition of Fightful Select Answers Q&A.
In response to whether ESPN had decided to stop airing the first hour of WWE PLEs for free, Sapp clarified that this is not the case. He explained that the decision to not show the first hour of either night for SummerSlam was due to “scheduling conflicts.” Sapp also stated that ESPN will continue to broadcast the first hour of WWE PLEs on its linear networks in the future, particularly for major shows that they aim to promote widely and attract significant viewership.
This statement contrasts with recent news from Dave Meltzer in the Wrestling Observer Newsletter. Meltzer reported that ESPN’s decision to drop the first hour of WWE PLEs was based on a belief that streaming services were not gaining new subscriptions at the expected level through the previous approach. He added that in WWE’s case, ESPN’s removal of the first hour was “not a matter of ratings.”
