- A renewed broadcast pact between ESPN and WSOP puts the Main Event back on a major stage as the summer schedule kicks off.
- Last year’s massive turnout and prize pool hint at an even more ambitious run ahead.
- Returning champions and rising figures shape the early buzz as the series heads back to the Strip.
LAS VEGAS - After five years off the air, the World Series of Poker is storming back onto ESPN, sealed by a fresh multi-year deal that returns the Main Event to sports TV’s biggest stage.
On July 2nd, ESPN will begin covering the 2026 WSOP Main Event, with nearly 100 hours of content scheduled for all of its platforms, including the ESPN App.
From August 3rd to August 5th, there will be three nights of live final table action that air in prime time every evening from 9 p.m. to midnight ET.
Early round coverage will highlight three tables operating simultaneously to provide spectators a closer look at the top players as the tournament field gets smaller.
What This Means for the WSOP
The WSOP moved to CBS Sports Network in 2021 and ran there for four seasons before the focus eventually returned to a larger stage. The platform was ultimately unable to match ESPN's audience figures.
ESPN has been involved in every decade of the Main Event since 1987, and there is a compelling argument to be made that their coverage helped popularize poker during the boom of the mid-2000s. Prior to the summer series, it is anticipated that the return to a major network will increase tournament registration numbers and general interest in the sport.
With 9,735 players, the 2025 Main Event created the third-largest prize fund in WSOP history, with over $90 million. That kind of growth shows how much mainstream media exposure affects the game at all levels for bettors in states with poker markets that are permitted.
Defending champion Michael "The Grinder" Mizrachi steps back onto the felt this summer with everything to prove, having pocketed the $10 million top prize and his eighth bracelet in 2025, making him the name every player at the 2026 Main Event will be gunning for.
At that same final table, Leonore Margets broke all previous records by being the first woman in thirty years to earn a seat and play for the highest prize in poker. With the 2026 series attracting more spectators than before, the stage is poised for another historic run.
The whole 2026 WSOP will be held at Horseshoe Las Vegas and Paris Las Vegas on the Strip from May 26 to July 15, according to players and gamblers using Nevada poker sites.