WWE is launching its first-ever Wrestlepalooza premium live event this Saturday, a debut that tests the company's new media strategy of splitting its broadcast rights between ESPN's direct-to-consumer service in the U.S. and Netflix internationally.
The streaming split: The broadcast is the first under a new agreement that hands ESPN exclusive U.S. rights to all of WWE’s major events like WrestleMania beginning in 2026. Internationally, the event will stream on Netflix, an arrangement that stems from the 10-year, $5 billion deal that also made the platform the home for Monday Night Raw.
Clash of eras: The Indianapolis card features a mix of wrestling titans and current stars, headlined by John Cena facing Brock Lesnar during his 2025 farewell tour. The event also marks the in-ring return of AJ Lee after a decade, teaming with her husband CM Punk to take on the rival married couple of Seth Rollins and Becky Lynch.
The event is WWE’s first major play in a fragmented streaming landscape, testing whether its fanbase will follow across multiple high-priced subscription services. But this weekend's event isn't happening in a vacuum; WWE is also experimenting with its TV schedule to compete with the NFL's Monday Night Football. The "Wrestlepalooza" name itself is a callback, revived from an old event series run by the now-defunct ECW promotion in the late 90s. Meanwhile, rival wrestling company AEW is running its own major event, "All Out," on the very same day.
