WWE NXT is set to reach an even wider audience after The CW and ESPN officially confirmed the launch date for their new streaming partnership. Beginning next month, fans will be able to watch NXT live on both The CW Network and the ESPN App as part of a deal that also includes NASCAR, college football, and other major sporting events.

ESPN issued the following:

July 28, 2026

The CW Network and ESPN set August 4 launch for CW Sports live streaming on the ESPN App

More Than 800 Hours of Live CW Sports Events Air Live on Broadcast
and Stream Exclusively Within the ESPN App for All ESPN Unlimited Plan Subscribers

Marquee Live Events Include WWE NXT on Tuesday, August 4,
and the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series Race from Iowa Speedway on Saturday, August 8

NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series Visits Daytona International Speedway on Friday, August 28, for Final Regular Season Race Before the Chase for the Championship Begins

The CW’s Biggest College Football Season Ever Kicks Off on Saturday, August 29,
with New Mexico State at Florida State

WWE NXT “Heatwave” Premium Live Event from Texas to Air on Sunday, August 30

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.

The CW is a prominent broadcaster within the college sports landscape, including a sublicense with ESPN to air ACC college football and men’s and women’s basketball games. The network extended its partnership with the new Pac-12 Conference to include 13 regular season football games per year through the 2030-31 season, regular season men’s and women’s basketball games, and the women’s basketball tournament’s semifinal and championship games. In Fall 2026, CW Sports will also begin its partnership with the Mountain West conference, airing 13 football games, 20 men’s basketball games, and 15 women’s basketball games per year through the 2030-31 season. This fall, The CW will also broadcast the 2026 Arizona Bowl for the fourth year in a row.

ESPN offers its full suite of networks and services directly to fans on the ESPN App and ESPN.com with an ESPN Unlimited subscription, providing more choice, flexibility and access to all of ESPN, including more than 47,000 live events per year, on-demand replays, industry-leading studio shows and original programming, and more. The ESPN App gives fans a unique viewing experience that includes multiview and synchronized two-screen viewing options, swipe-able shortform vertical video and a personalized SportsCenter For You, as well as integrated game stats, ESPN Fantasy sports, betting odds and information from DraftKings, sports merchandise, and more. These features are available to all fans who watch on the ESPN App on mobile and connected TV devices, whether they subscribe directly or through a pay TV package from certain providers. Subscription options available for fans include the Disney+, Hulu, ESPN Unlimited Bundle that provides a one-of-a-kind streaming package combining sports with blockbuster movies and hit series. Disney+, Hulu, ESPN Unlimited Bundle subscribers can access all ESPN and CW Sports content on Disney+. For more visit stream.espn.com.

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About The CW Network

The CW is one of America’s premier broadcast networks, delivering 18 hours per week of primetime entertainment and children’s programming plus, on average, more than 13 hours of sports programming every weekend. CW Sports is the broadcast home to almost 700 hours of sports programming annually, including the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series; WWE NXT; college football and men’s and women’s basketball from the ACC, Pac-12 and Mountain West conferences; AVP beach volleyball, Professional Bull Riding Team Series; and Professional Bowlers Association (PBA) events. Beginning Summer 2026, CW Sports content will be available on the ESPN App to ESPN Unlimited Plan subscribers. CW Entertainment offers a variety of popular scripted and unscripted programming, including Wild Cards, Sullivan’s Crossing, Police 24/7, Penn & Teller: Fool Us, Scrabble, and Trivial Pursuit. The CW’s primetime and other entertainment programming can be found on the CW App, available for free to consumers on all major platforms, and beginning Fall 2026 will be available in a CW-branded hub on The Roku Channel. The CW is owned by Nexstar Media Group, Inc. (NASDAQ: NXST), a leading diversified media company. For more information about The CW, please visit www.cwtv.com.

All of ESPN. All in One Place.

ESPN offers its full suite of networks and services directly to fans on the ESPN App with an ESPN Unlimited subscription, providing more choice, flexibility and access to all of ESPN, including more than 47,000 live events per year, on-demand replays, industry-leading studio shows and original programming, and more. The ESPN App gives fans a unique viewing experience that includes multiview and synchronized two-screen viewing options, swipe-able shortform vertical video and a personalized SportsCenter For You, as well as integrated game stats, ESPN Fantasy sports, betting odds and information from DraftKings, sports merchandise, and more. These features are available to all fans who watch on the ESPN App on mobile and connected TV devices, whether they subscribe directly or through a pay TV package from certain providers. Bundling options available for fans include a Disney+, Hulu, ESPN offering that provides a one-of-a-kind streaming package combining sports with branded and general entertainment. For more visit stream.espn.com.