How to watch WWE Royal Rumble 2026: Date, start time, full match card & streaming links

Wrestling fans all over the planet are eagerly counting down the hours until one of the standout highlights in the WWE calendar gets underway. The Royal Rumble, staged annually since 1988, takes place in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, this Saturday (January 31). With all the biggest male and female stars on the grappling globe descending on the King Abdullah Financial District (KAFD), it’s set to be an unmissable, jaw-dropping event.

While every Royal Rumble is momentous, the upcoming canvas-crashing extravaganza promises to be an extra-special occasion. As well as being the first ever Royal Rumble held outside the United States, it’s also the first time one of WWE’s annual ‘Big Five’ events is being staged in Saudi Arabia. If that’s not all, it’s the first-ever ‘Rumble’ to livestream on ESPN in the United States.

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For the wrestling newbies out there, the Royal Rumble is a modified battle royal. Unlike a regular battle royal, where multiple participants start the match in a ring, in the Royal Rumble, participants (traditionally 30) enter the ring at timed intervals instead. The aim is to then eliminate their opponents by tossing them over the top rope, so both their feet touch the floor. The winner of the match is the last wrestler remaining after all others have been eliminated.

While originally only for men, a women's version of the Royal Rumble match was held as the main event at the 2018 show in Philadelphia. It proved such a success that it’s now become the norm to have Royal Rumble matches for both sexes at the annual event. It’s also now the norm for both Royal Rumble winners to be awarded world championship title shots at Wrestlemania. This year’s two-day Wrestlemania is being held on April 18 & 19 at Allegiant Stadium in Paradise, Nevada.

Let GOAL show you everything you need to know about how to watch the upcoming WWE Royal Rumble, including the event card, timings, and streaming links.

When is WWE Royal Rumble 2026?

WWE Royal Rumble 2026 takes place on Saturday, January 31. It airs as follows around the globe (times are approx):

Where is WWE Royal Rumble 2026 held?

WWE Royal Rumble 2026 is being held at King Abdullah Financial District in Riyadh. It's the first WWE PPV and livestreaming event to be held in Saudi Arabia since 'Night of Champions' in June 2025.

KAFD in Riyadh is emerging as a premier venue for major international sporting and entertainment events, particularly as part of the Riyadh Season initiative.

🇺🇸 How to watch WWE Royal Rumble 2026 in the US

WWE Royal Rumble 2026 will be available to livestream on ESPN's direct-to-consumer streaming service in the United States. This will be the fourth main roster WWE PPV event to air (after Wrestlepalooza, Crown Jewel and Survivor Series: Wargames) on ESPN, as Peacock's contract ended following the conclusion of Clash in Paris last summer.

The Royal Rumble will stream as part of the ESPN DTC service's Unlimited plan, requiring either a $29.99 monthly subscription, or a subscription to a package that includes ESPN Unlimited through a participating TV service provider, such as Fubo.

FuboTV is a top-quality streaming service, which has ESPN included in all its packages, so offers access to the Royal Rumble and a whole world of sports. Fubo offers multiple subscription plans, including the new 'Fubo Sports', which costs $45.99 for the first month and then $55.99 per month for subsequent months. It's streamlined and sports-focused with over 28 channels, including ESPN Unlimited, ESPN2, ESPNews, ESPNU, NFL Network, Tennis Channel and local networks like ABC, CBS, and Fox. Other Fubo plans start from $84.99/month with a free 7-day trial available to new subscribers across all of its plans. The streaming service is a no-brainer for wrestling and general sports fans.

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🌎 How to watch WWE Royal Rumble 2026 worldwide

Wrestling fans around the world, including in the UK, can watch WWE Royal Rumble 2026 and all WWE shows, on Netflix via livestream. The global streaming platform began a 10-year rights deal with WWE at the start of 2025.

How to watch WWE Royal Rumble 2026 from anywhere with a VPN

If WWE Royal Rumble 2026 isn't available to watch live in your area or if you're travelling, you can use a VPN to tune into the action from wherever you are. A VPN creates a secure connection that lets you bypass geographical restrictions and access your favourite streaming services from anywhere.

We recommend NordVPN if you're unsure which VPN to choose, but you can also check out our in-depth VPN guide to determine which one is best for you.

Bypass geo-restrictions with a VPNGet Nord

How to get WWE Royal Rumble 2026 tickets

Demand for WWE Royal Rumble tickets is high, as it is for all WWE events, but seats are still available via the WWE site. While the official ticket portal is the safest way for fans to purchase WWE tickets, those eager to go to Riyadh may also wish to consider secondary resale sites such as StubHub, which could give them the best opportunity of obtaining tickets. WWE Royal Rumble tickets on StubHub are currently available for $40+.

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WWE Royal Rumble 2026 match card and storylines

Confirmed matches

Match storylines

Men's Royal Rumble match

Jey Uso became the 28th different Men’s Royal Rumble winner when outlasting his ring rivals at the 38th edition of the event at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis twelve months ago. ‘Stone Cold’ Steve Austin tops the all-time winners board, having won the ‘Rumble’ on three occasions (1997, 1998 and 2001). He’s one of 10 previous multiple winners, the others being Hulk Hogan, Shawn Michaels, John Cena, Batista, Triple H, Randy Orton, Edge, Brock Lesnar and Cody Rhodes.

While not all this year’s participants are known as yet, several past winners have already announced they’ll be stepping into the ring in Riyadh. They include the following; Cody Rhodes, Jey Uso, Rey Mysterio and Roman Reigns.

Women's Royal Rumble match

Asuka famously became the inaugural Women’s Royal Rumble winner back in 2018. We’ve had six different women last the distance and reign supreme in the ring extravaganza since then, although none have defended their title. Charlotte Flair did become the first multiple Royal Rumble women’s winner last year though, with her second success coming five years after her initial victory. All the previous women’s winners, aside from Bianca Belair and Ronda Rousey, are set to return for another shot at glory in Riyadh. With the full line-up not yet known though, there could be more surprises still to come.

Drew McIntyre vs Sami Zayn

Earlier this month, it was announced that a tournament would take place, with eight wrestlers competing against each other in four singles matches. Those winners advanced to a fatal four-way match at last weekend’s Saturday Night's Main Event XLIII. The winner of that match (Sami Zayn) earned himself a shot at the Undisputed WWE Championship belt-holder (Drew McIntyre) at the Royal Rumble.

AJ Styles vs Gunther

The animosity between AJ Styles and Gunther has been rumbling on for weeks, with the phenomenal one initially taking offence to Gunther bad-mouthing John Cena. The Ring General had beaten Cena in his last ever match and the Austrian fighter continues to gloat about the fact he got the legend to tap out.

Styles and Gunther fought earlier this month and although Styles made Gunther submit, the referee didn’t see the tap out and the match continued, with the Austrian finally getting the win. Styles demanded a rematch at the Royal Rumble, but Gunther only agreed to it, when a stipulation was put in place that if he won, Styles would retire from wrestling for good. Having retired both Goldberg and Cena, AJ Styles fans will be concerned the legend killer will claim another scalp this weekend.

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