WWE WrestleMania 42 on ESPN simulcast ratings released
The first-ever WWE WrestleMania on ESPN saw some impressive numbers for the hourlong portions that aired on ESPN’s linear networks in addition to the ESPN Unlimited streaming service.
First reported by Front Office Sports (a WWE content partner), Saturday’s one hour WrestleMania 42 simulcast brought in 1.62 million viewers on ESPN2. The hour featured Drew McIntyre vs. Jacob Fatu in an unsanctioned match as well as LA Knight & The Usos vs. Logan Paul, Austin Theory & IShowSpeed in a trios bout.
Sunday’s hour brought in 1.82 million viewers on ESPN’s main channel with Brock Lesnar vs. Oba Femi (followed by Lesnar’s possible retirement seen above) and the ladder match for the men’s Intercontinental title.
FOS also reported that the one hour countdown shows did 676,000 viewers for ESPN2 on Saturday followed by 750,000 for ESPN on Sunday.
National competition included both the NBA and NHL playoffs on both nights.
No viewership data has been revealed for the full ESPN Unlimited broadcasts, but in WWE’s media releasing touting the weekend’s overall success, they stated that “WrestleMania Saturday was the most-viewed telecast of the year on ESPN2, while WrestleMania Sunday was the most-viewed telecast of the entire weekend on ESPN.”
It was the first WrestleMania as part of ESPN and WWE’s five year exclusive domestic deal for PLEs that began last September. The networks did a slew of coverage leading into the event on key properties like SportsCenter and Get Up.
Since 2011, Josh has been a contributing editor to Wrestling Observer/F4WOnline.com and also hosts the Punch-Out podcast. He has also written for Fight Magazine, Bloody Elbow, Bleacher Report, and other websites. He's a 2000 graduate of the University of Maine, worked in pro sports, and once was an indie ring announcer.