WSOP Returns With Expanded Free Global Coverage for 2026
Summary:
- WSOP Main Event is back to ESPN, with final table airing on cable for free viewing.
- Most 2026 bracelet events will stream free on YouTube, Twitch, Facebook and X.
- GGPoker ownership brings expanded global coverage and new broadcast format.
The World Series of Poker is going through major broadcast changes in 2026, with organizers confirming a return to ESPN for its flagship Main Event along with a significantly expanded free-streaming strategy for the rest of the festival.
Uninterrupted Familiarity
The shift marks the end of the WSOP’s recent partnership with PokerGO and CBS Sports Network, bringing poker’s biggest tournament back to ESPN for the first time since the post-COVID era.
The change follows GGPoker’s acquisition of the WSOP brand from Caesars Entertainment in a deal valued at around $500 million in 2024.
Despite the media shake-up, fans will still continue to see familiar voices in the broadcast booth, with longtime commentators Norman Chad and Lon McEachern returning to cover the Main Event via an ongoing partnership that has defined WSOP television coverage since the early 2000s.
What to Expect
The 2026 WSOP Main Event, scheduled to kickstart on July 2 at Horseshoe and Paris Las Vegas, will play down to the final table on July 13 prior to pausing for a few weeks.
The final table will come back on August 3, with three days of televised action. While early coverage will stream on the ESPN app, the final table will air live on ESPN and ESPN2 and remain free for cable viewers.
Between those stages, ESPN will continue to provide highlight packages and edited coverage of the event, for a more traditional television format for casual audiences who do not follow the live stream.
Outside of the Main Event, the WSOP is expanding its digital footprint more than ever. All remaining bracelet events in 2026 will be streamed free across the WSOP’s official YouTube channel as well as platforms including Facebook, X and Twitch. Organizers say this will provide 51 consecutive days of continuous poker coverage.
Daily livestream production will shift to the Paris Ballroom, with feature tables set up for broadcast throughout the series.
Popular poker personalities, including Nick Schulman, Ali Nejad, Joe Stapleton, Maria Ho, David Williams and Jeff Platt are set to appear across commentary and hosting roles.
While some premium contentlike the Main Event coverage will sit behind ESPN app’s paywall, most of the WSOP content will be free, signaling one of the most open broadcast models in the history of the iconic event.
