ESPN is ramping up its WSOP Main Event coverage this year, the first year the Bristol, CT-based sports network has aired poker’s premier tournament since COVID.
The $10,000 buy-in World Championship event begins July 2 at Horseshoe and Paris Las Vegas, and runs through Aug. 5, with a three-week break when the final table is reached. Poker fans who watched the WSOP on ESPN before it moved to CBS Sports Network from 2021-2025 will notice some similarities to the broadcasts of old, and a new, enhanced Main Event television and livestream schedule.
WSOP Main Event Coverage Details
ESPN returning to the WSOP isn’t the only major change to this year’s Main Event. The tournament will play down to a final table of nine — call it the August Nine — on July 13. Those players, all likely to be guaranteed at least $1 million, will take a few weeks off to rest, study up on the opposition, handle media requests, and perhaps obtain sponsorship deals.
They will all return to the felt on Aug. 3 for three days of livestreaming action that will air on ESPN2 (Aug. 3-4) and ESPN (Aug. 5). The pre-final table play starts July 2 with Day 1a, to be livestreamed from 8 p.m. to 2 a.m. ET on the ESPN+ app, which does require a paid subscription. All four Day 1 sessions and then Days 2-8 will have daily livestream coverage on ESPN+.
For those who don’t have ESPN+ or prefer condensed versions of the WSOP Main Event, you’re in luck. ESPN2 will air two edited versions of the pre-final table action, one at 9 p.m. ET and the other at 10 p.m., on July 21, along with two other episodes on July 28 at 8 p.m. and 9 p.m. Re-broadcasts of those episodes are available on ESPN2 on July 22, 26, and 29.
After the final table concludes, ESPN2 will then premiere episodes of the finale, one on Aug. 9 and the other on Aug. 10, both at 10 p.m. These episodes will re-air Aug. 11, 13, 15, and 19.
ESPN will provide more coverage of the WSOP Main Event this year than the network ever did in the past. Commentators for the Main Event include familiar voices, such as Norman Chad, Lon McEachern, Ali Nejad, and Nick Schulman. PokerNews will also provide extensive daily live reporting coverage of the Main Event from start to finish.
How You Can Watch the 2026 World Series of Poker (WSOP) for Free
ESPN’s Full Main Event Schedule
| Dates | Coverage | Event | Network | Time (ET) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| July 2-8 | Livestream | Days 1-3 | ESPN+ | 8 p.m.-2 a.m. |
| July 9-13 | Livestream | Days 4-8 | ESPN+ | 3-7 p.m. & 9 p.m.-3 a.m. |
| July 21,22,26 | Edited | Condensed Main Event | ESPN2 | July 21 (Premiere 9 and 10 p.m.), July 22 & 26 (re-air) |
| July 28 & 29 | Edited | Condensed Main Event | ESPN2 | July 28 (Premiere at 8 & 9 p.m.), July 29 (re-air) |
| Aug. 3 | Livestream | Final Table | ESPN2 | 9 p.m.-Midnight |
| Aug. 4 | Livestream | Final Table | ESPN | 9 p.m.-Midnight |
| Aug. 5 | Livestream | Final Table | ESPN | 10:30 p.m.-1:30 a.m. |
| Aug. 10,11,13,15,19 | Edited | Condensed Main Event | ESPN2 | Aug. 10 (Premiere Aug. 9 & 10 at 10 p.m.), re-airs on additional days |
