WWE WrestleMania: ESPN to Air 3 Past Events Ahead of 2020 Broadcast

With WrestleMania 36 set to take place over two nights on April 4 and 5, WWE is set to put some classic events on display. ESPN will be airing encore presentations of three prior WrestleManias. Wrestling fans will now be able to relive the match between Brock Lesnar and the Undertaker, as well as the time that Hulk Hogan, “Stone Cold” Steve Austin, and Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson were all in the ring together.

WrestleMania 30, the first of the three events, will be aired on Sunday, March 22, at 7 p.m. ET. WrestleMania 32 will be broadcast on March 29 while WrestleMania 35 will be shown on April 7. This decision is part of a continuing effort by ESPN to fill programming blocks due to the lack of sporting events. COVID-19 concerns have led to multiple leagues postponing or canceling a multitude of matches, including the remainder of the NBA season and seven races on the NASCAR schedule.

“This unique opportunity is a byproduct of the terrific working relationship we’ve enjoyed with WWE over the years and the unprecedented circumstances we all find ourselves in,” said Burke Magnus, executive vice president of programming for ESPN. “WrestleMania is one of the most popular global events in sports and entertainment and the spectacular content it provides will be a treat for fans.”

While WrestleMania 30 turned heads for the Lesnar-Undertaker match, WrestleMania 32 drew attention for featuring the first WWE Women’s Championship. Charlotte Flair, Becky Lynch, and Sasha Banks faced off in hopes of claiming this title. Similarly, WrestleMania 35 featured Rhonda Rousey, Becky Lynch, and Sasha Banks in the first women’s wrestling main event.

WWE has primarily partnered with NBCUniversal and FOX to air shows such as SmackDown and WWE Raw. Additionally, past events have generally been featured on the WWE Network, the company’s streaming platform.

“It is a privilege for us to deliver historic WrestleMania content to our world-class partners at ESPN and provide more premium programming to our fans, putting smiles on their faces particularly during this trying time,” said Stephanie McMahon, chief brand officer, WWE. “We look forward to celebrating WrestleMania history with ESPN as we head into our two-night pop culture extravaganza on April 4 and 5.”

All three WrestleMania encore telecasts will air on ESPN and stream via the ESPN App. WrestleMania 30 will be shown on March 22, WrestleMania 32 will be on March 29, and WrestleMania 35 will be on April 7. All three events will lead up to WrestleMania 36, which will take place on April 4-5.

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