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WSOP Main Event Returns to ESPN in 2026 With Live Final Table and Prime-Time Broadcast
- WSOP Main Event returns to ESPN in 2026 for multi-year broadcast.
- Coverage includes 100+ hours annually & 3-night live finale Aug 3–5.
- Brings poker back to prime-time, enhancing its visibility.
ESPN partners with WSOP, bringing the Main Event back to prime-time TV starting in 2026.
(credit: WSOP)
The WSOP Main Event is returning to ESPN in 2026 under a new multi-year broadcast deal. Starting July 2, ESPN will air daily coverage of the $10,000 No-Limit Hold'em World Championship with a minimum of six hours per session, totalling approximately 100 hours of programming annually.
The final table pauses at nine players on July 13 and resumes August 3 for a live three-night prime-time finale airing August 3–5, 9pm to midnight EST.
After years of fragmented streaming deals and paywall coverage, the World Series of Poker is heading back to prime-time television, and this time the ESPN is going all in.
WSOP Main Event Final Table ESPN LIVE Brings 20-Day Hype Break
Day 1 kicks off July 2, with the field grinding down to the final nine survivors on July 13. Here's what happens next:
- 20-day break before the WSOP Main Event final table returns
- ESPN broadcast covers the wait period with player profiles, backstories and narrative build-up
- Live three-night finale airs August 3-5, 9pm to midnight EST
- Las Vegas live rail available for all three finale nights
The format gives casual fans and hardcore grinders alike a reason to tune in, combining high-stakes poker with the kind of structured TV production usually reserved for major sports events.
What the ESPN WSOP Partnership Means for Poker in 2026
WSOP CEO Ty Stewart did not undersell the moment:
"Returning to ESPN, the home of our most iconic moments since 1987, allows us to showcase the human drama of the Main Event like never before. With our new ownership's commitment to growth, this is the perfect time to bring the World Championship back to the biggest stage in sports."
ESPN's Ashley O'Connor echoed the ambition:
"Poker is filled with unexpected storylines, and nobody is better equipped to showcase the stories that unfold throughout a tournament more than ESPN."
Prime-time ESPN is the logical next step for a game that has been quietly rebuilding its audience in plain sight. The difference now is the scale, and the spotlight that comes with it.
For anyone heading to Las Vegas this summer, the stakes just got considerably higher.
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