WWE NXT is heading to the App. The CW Network and ESPN announced a sweeping streaming partnership on Wednesday that will make every CW Sports live event available on ESPN's direct-to-consumer service starting this summer, including weekly NXT broadcasts.

Under the deal, more than 800 hours of CW Sports programming will stream live on the ESPN App for ESPN Unlimited subscribers. The lineup includes WWE NXT, the NASCAR O'Reilly Auto Parts Series, ACC, Pac-12, and Mountain West college football and basketball, PBA Bowling, PBR Bull Riding, AVP volleyball, and the 2026 Arizona Bowl.



Nothing changes for fans who already watch NXT on linear television. The two-hour Tuesday night broadcast will continue to air on The CW from 8 to 10 p.m. ET, just as it has since the brand moved to broadcast TV in October 2024. The ESPN partnership simply adds a live streaming option for cord-cutters and viewers who prefer the ESPN App ecosystem.

"We were hunting for a streaming solution, and the thing that we knew was that the world doesn't need another direct-to-consumer product," CW Network President Brad Schwartz told TheWrap. "We decided our strategy was not going to be adding to that challenge for people and that we were going to partner with somebody to do it. If you're going to find a partner for sports, the worldwide leader in sports is a pretty good one to go with."

The timing is notable. The new streaming arrangement lands one day after WWE and The CW announced that all NXT Premium Live Events will move exclusively to The CW beginning with The Great American Bash this summer. With CW Sports content now flowing into the ESPN App, that means NXT PLEs will also be available to stream there alongside the weekly show.

That puts nearly all of WWE's premium U.S. content under the ESPN streaming roof. Main roster PLEs including WrestleMania, SummerSlam, and the Royal Rumble already stream on ESPN as part of the company's $1.6 billion deal with the network. Monday Night Raw remains on Netflix, while SmackDown stays on USA Network.

According to Variety, this marks the first time ESPN's streaming service has partnered with a non-Disney-owned broadcast network in a major way. The CW will retain control of all advertising sales tied to its sports inventory, with year one operating as a linear pass-through before dynamic ad insertion is rolled out.

NXT's first run on broadcast television has already paid off for The CW. The network previously called the partnership "an absolute game changer", with NXT regularly outpacing Fox among adults 18-49 and 25-54 on Tuesday nights. Adding ESPN App distribution gives the brand its widest combined linear and streaming reach to date.

The CW Sports launch on the ESPN App is set for summer 2026.