WWE Announces First Hour Of Backlash 2026 Will Air On ESPN2

Submitted by Tom Araya on

WWE announced during last night’s episode of SmackDown that the first hour of their 2026 Backlash Premium Live Event (PLE) will air on ESPN2. This move follows last month’s WrestleMania 42, which featured the first hour of both night one and night two airing on ESPN2 and ESPN, respectively.

The first hour of night one included a 6-Man Tag Team Match with Logan Paul, Austin Theory, and IShowSpeed facing LA Knight and The Usos, as well as an Unsanctioned Match between Jacob Fatu and Drew McIntyre. This hour drew 1.6 million viewers, earning a rating of 0.62 in the key 18-49 demographic. Night two featured Oba Femi battling Brock Lesnar in a singles match—seen as Lesnar’s apparent retirement from pro wrestling—as well as a ladder match for the Intercontinental title. This hour drew 1.8 million viewers, with a rating of 0.65, marking a slight increase from the previous night.

There is currently no information on which matches will air during the first hour of Backlash on ESPN2. However, some matches that have been announced for the PLE include Seth Rollins vs. Bron Breakker, IYO SKY vs. Asuka, and Roman Reigns defending the World Heavyweight title against Jacob Fatu. WWE Backlash is scheduled to take place on Saturday, May 9th, at the Benchmark International Arena in Tampa, Florida. The full event will be broadcast on ESPN Unlimited in the U.S. and on Netflix internationally.