Backstage News On Why ESPN Won’t Air The First Hour Of Both Nights Of SummerSlam 2026 For Free

As previously reported, ESPN recently announced its coverage plans for this weekend's two-night 2026 WWE SummerSlam premium live event (PLE). The press release did not mention that the first hour of both nights will air on the linear ESPN networks, including ESPN and ESPN2, as it has for past WWE PLEs.