The Road to WrestleMania begins in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, as the WWE’s 2026 Royal Rumble will take place on Saturday, Jan. 31. Some of the biggest stars in professional wrestling will be on hand to compete in the men’s and women’s over-the-top-rope Royal Rumble matches, with the winner of each getting a title shot of their choice at WrestleMania in April. In addition to those matches, there will also be a bout for the Undisputed WWE Championship and another that could prematurely end the career of one of the most phenomenal stars in wrestling history. The action gets underway at 2 p.m. ET on the ESPN streaming service. The only way to watch every elimination, surprise entrant, and shocking result with a subscription to ESPN Unlimited.

How to watch the 2026 Royal Rumble

• When: Saturday, Jan. 31 at 2 p.m. ET
• TV: ESPN Unlimited
• Streaming: Watch all of the fights with a subscription to ESPN Unlimited.
• From anywhere: Watch with a subscription to a VPN.

Everything you need to know to stream Royal Rumble

Can you stream the Royal Rumble for free?

Unfortunately, you cannot. The new standalone ESPN streaming service does not offer free trials. Now, if you subscribe to a cable, satellite, or live TV streaming service that provides access to the ESPN family of networks as part of its channel offerings, then there is a good chance that you will be able to authenticate your subscription and stream on the ESPN for no additional cost, but you still have to pay for your initial service.

If you are considering paying for a subscription to the ESPN streamer for the Royal Rumble, it will cost you $30 per month. The platform does have a cheaper subscription at $13 monthly, but that ESPN Select option does not provide access to the WWE Premium Live Events. So, you will need to go for the more expensive ESPN Unlimited option for $30.

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ESPN Unlimited

ESPN launched its highly anticipated direct-to-consumer streaming service on August 21, 2025. For the first time, this service gives sports fans access to its full lineup of linear channels without a traditional cable or satellite subscription.

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Subscribers can pay the $31.99 monthly fee for ESPN Unlimited, which unlocks all ESPN linear channels — including ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU, SEC Network, ACC Network, ESPNEWS, ESPN Deportes, and ESPN on ABC — plus ESPN+ and ESPN3, totaling around 47,000 live events each year. A subscription may be purchased monthly or annually.

ESPN+ content is available as part of an ESPN Ultimate subscription; those seeking only ESPN+ can subscribe to ESPN Select for $13.99 instead.

ESPN Unlimited offers extensive coverage of the NFL, NBA, MLB, college sports, UFC, soccer, tennis, and more, along with original programming, studio shows, and “30 for 30” documentaries. Starting in 2026, the platform will become the exclusive U.S. streaming home for WWE’s premium live events, including WrestleMania, SummerSlam, and Royal Rumble.

NFL Network and NFL RedZone are also included through an NFL-ESPN partnership, which adds draft coverage, preseason games, and NFL+ Premium features. The enhanced ESPN app will feature Multiview for watching multiple games simultaneously, real-time stats, betting and fantasy tools, personalized highlight reels, and even e-commerce options for tickets and merchandise.

On September 1, 2026, ESPN Unlimited prices were raised — barely a year after launch — from $13 to $14 per month for ESPN Select and from $30 to $32 for ESPN Unlimited.

Viewers can subscribe directly or bundle ESPN Unlimited with Disney+ and Hulu. With its robust live sports lineup, premium features, and the convenience of streaming anywhere, ESPN’s new service is a must-have for die-hard sports fans looking to cut the cord without sacrificing coverage.

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$31.99+ / month

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What is the card for the Royal Rumble?

Card subject to change.

Watch a preview for the Royal Rumble

About the 2026 Royal Rumble

Outside of Wrestlemania, there is arguably no more exciting event in all of professional wrestling than the Royal Rumble, and the 2026 edition seems to be chock full of excitement. The card is scheduled to open with the 30-man, over-the-top-rope Royal Rumble match. Many of the biggest stars in wrestling will be involved in the match, including Brock Lesnar, Bron Breakker, Cody Rhodes, and Roman Reigns. Currently, the men’s match has 22 entrants confirmed with eight wrestlers still to be announced; as is Royal Rumble tradition, there will undoubtedly be surprises and familiar faces trying to earn a title shot at the showcase of the immortals.

Confirmed entrants in the men’s Royal Rumble match

On the women’s side, 17 of the 30 entrants have been announced, leaving nearly half the field open for surprise participants. However, what we do know is that some of the biggest names in women’s wrestling will be involved, including Alexa Bliss, Asuka, Bayley, Charlotte Flair, Liv Morgan, Rhea Ripley, and Becky Lynch, who is the greatest women’s wrestler in the world, and it’s not just her saying that, Sport sillustrated said that, the Bleacher Report said that.

Confirmed entrants in the women’s Royal Rumble match

After the Royal Rumble matches, on the card will be the only title bout of the evening with the Undisputed WWE Champion Drew McIntyre taking on Sami Zayn. The, the main event will see The Phenomenal AJ Styles put his career on the line against “The Ring General” Gunther. After ending the careers of Goldberg and John Cena, Gunther is looking to add another notch in his legend-killer resume. If Styles loses, he will be forced to retire from in-ring competition.

The legend had already said that 2026 would be his final year of competition, but surely he had hoped that he would get the full year of action before hanging up his boots.

How to stream the 2026 Royal Rumble from anywhere

If you’ll be away from home and can’t watch the fights as you normally would, you can still catch all of the action no matter where you are in the world with a VPN. A VPN can be used on your phone, tablet, or computer and make you appear to be back home — even when you’re not — making sure you feel at home no matter where you are. A VPN is a safe and secure way to stay protected online while streaming your favorite sports, movies, and shows on the go. Keep in mind that you will still need to a subscription to ESPN in order to stream the Royal Rumble with a VPN.

NordVPN is one of the best providers around, at one of the best prices. Currently, you can get two full years of protection for just $3.59 per month — plus you’ll get three extra months FREE. A high-speed VPN with best-in-class security that can be used on up to 10 devices at once — what more could you ask for? Simply sign up, install the software on your device of choice, and start streaming just as you would back home. It couldn’t be easier!

While NordVPN is our recommendation for the best VPN to use while you are traveling, there are a number of other high-quality options available depending on what you are looking for.

• Best Features: ExpressVPN | Starting at $5 per month
• Best Budget Option: Surfshark | Starting at $2.50 per month
• Best Free Option: Proton VPN | Free plan available