Shortly after WrestleMania, we learned that WWE’s developmental brand/show NXT would be joining the company’s main roster premium live events on the ESPN Unlimited app/service in the United States. It’s happening because NXT airs on The CW in the U.S., and that network cut a deal with the Disney-owned sports media giant to add CW Sports to Unlimited.
They didn’t have a date for when it would happen at the time, but they announced that today (July 28). And it will ensure that NXT’s Heatwave PLE will be
on ESPN opposite AEW’s return to Wembley for All In, as both stream live the afternoon of Sun., Aug. 30 here in the States. NXT’s weekly show will also be available via ESPN Unlimited.
The CW Network and ESPN today announced that their highly anticipated streaming agreement to bring CW Sports’ live events to the ESPN App will officially launch on Tuesday, August 4. More than 800 annual hours of CW Sports will be broadcast live on The CW Network as well as stream live on the ESPN App for viewers with an ESPN Unlimited subscription plan.
Fans can activate the ESPN Unlimited plan through their TV or mobile providers in addition to a standalone subscription. Audiences now can watch all CW Sports offerings live on any device with the ESPN App as a complement to The CW’s nationwide over-the-air broadcast and Pay TV distribution, combining premium sports offerings into a single viewer-friendly experience while advertisers extend reach to new audiences across all digital platforms.
CW Sports on the ESPN App launches with a thrilling two-hour live WWE NXT event on Tuesday, August 4 at 8:00pm ET. Motorsports fans can stream the final two regular season NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series races from Iowa Speedway on Saturday, August 8 at 4:30pm ET and the legendary Daytona International Speedway on Friday, August 28 at 7:00pm ET before The Chase for the championship continues throughout the fall. The CW’s biggest college football season in network history—which features 140 hours of games across the ACC, Pac-12 and Mountain West conferences—kicks off on Saturday, August 29 at 6:30pm ET with New Mexico State at Florida State. The weekend concludes with the can’t-miss WWE NXT “Heatwave” Premium Live Event from deep in the heart of Texas on Sunday, August 30 at 3:00pm ET.
Launched in 2023, CW Sports has rapidly become a broadcast destination for live sports across a diverse variety of sports, including college football and men’s and women’s basketball from the ACC, Mountain West and Pac-12 conferences, the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series, WWE NXT every Tuesday night, WWE NXT Premium Live Events, PBR Bull Riding, AVP volleyball, PBA bowling and the 2026 Arizona Bowl.
CW Sports is the exclusive home for all 33 races in the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series through the 2031 racing season. During its first year on The CW in 2025, the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series had its most-watched season in four years, growing its total audience by ten percent over the previous year. The first 19 races of the current 2026 season delivered more than one million total viewers every week (pre-rain delay), and viewership is up 11 percent over last year’s season average.
And it’s not the only recent bit of good news for WWE watchers hoping to get as much of the company’s product in one place as possible. Yesterday, word spread that ESPN Unlimited is finally live for YouTube TV subscribers.
The update appears in the Sports section of the YouTube TV settings menu, where users can toggle on the Connect ESPN option. Once activated, this connection allows viewers to monitor their NFL fantasy scores in real time while watching games or related content on YouTube TV, and it opens the door to streaming live sports events via the separate ESPN application.
Does this new excite you? Fill you with dread? Not move you in the slightest?
Let’s discuss in the comments below.
