button in SafariHow You Can Watch the 2026 World Series of Poker (WSOP) for Free
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Changes to television and livestream coverage have been made for the 2026 World Series of Poker (WSOP). Major changes. But fear not, the biggest event of the year in poker will be easily accessible to poker fans around the world, for free (well, most of it).
The WSOP on PokerGO and CBS Sports Network era is over. No more obscure low-rated cable channel for Main Event coverage or paying to watch many of the bracelet event final tables throughout the summer.
There shouldn't be any surprise that GGPoker, new owners of the WSOP after the poker site's parent company purchased the brand from Caesars Entertainment for $500 million in 2024, has new TV coverage plans. But poker fans will notice many similarities from past summers, including familiar faces such as Jeff Platt, Norman Chad, and Lon McEachern being part of the coverage.
World Series of Poker Back on ESPN
The WSOP announced in April that the Main Event, for the first time since COVID, would return to ESPN, the top sports network in the U.S. This is a huge upgrade from CBS Sports Network, a cable channel many sports fans either don't have or don't even know they have. ESPN, on the other hand, is part of virtually every cable package and played an integral role in poker's exponential growth in the early 2000s.
Chad and McEachern, WSOP announcers on both ESPN and CBSSN since 2003, will be back in the broadcast booth for the televised portion of the Main Event. Poker's world championship event, won by Michael Mizrachi last year, kicks off July 2 at Horseshoe and Paris Las Vegas.
The $10,000 buy-in no-limit hold'em tournament will play down to the final table on July 13 before, for the first time since 2016, taking a break. Those still standing will then return to the felt on Aug. 3 for three days of final table action. All pre-final table livestreams will take place daily during the Main Event on the ESPN App.
ESPN App is not free, but it includes streaming for all ESPN shows and games for $29.99 per month or an extra $10 per month to bundle Hulu and Disney+. The Main Event final table livestreams, however, will be free on ESPN or ESPN2 cable for three days from start to finish.
In between July 13 and the start of the final table, ESPN and ESPN2 will air four edited and condensed versions of the Main Event leading up to the final table. The four-letter network will then televise two edited hours of the final table after it ends. So, poker fans who don't want to pay to watch the Main Event can still catch plenty of the action for free, albeit non-live.
What About the Rest of the 2026 WSOP?
ESPN will only be televising the Main Event this year. But the rest of the 2026 WSOP, which begins May 26, will be available for livestreaming on the WSOP's official YouTube channel, along with on Facebook, X, and Twitch, giving players numerous viewing options for the first time ever, and all for free, for 51 days straight.
This year's livestreaming stage will be moving from Horseshoe to the Paris Ballroom. Feature tables will be set up in Paris throughout the summer, with free coverage of the 99 non-Main Event bracelet tournaments daily on your preferred streaming platform.
The commentators have all been announced for the daily livestreaming coverage, which begins May 29, and they are all familiar faces within the poker community. Nick Schulman and Ali Nejad will often team up, along with Joe Stapleton who moved from PokerStars to the WSOP. Maria Ho, a popular longtime poker pro, will serve as an analyst. David Williams, the 2004 WSOP Man Event runner-up, will step into the broadcast booth, and of course Platt, who left PokerGO to become the WSOP's emcee, will be on the sidelines throughout the summer.
The 2026 WSOP will have more livestreaming coverage than ever before on more platforms than in previous years, and only pre-final table Main Event coverage will be behind a paywall. Most livestreamed final tables will be of no-limit hold'em events, but Platt tweeted out some brief details about additional lesser coverage of non-NLH final tables that will take place on the outer feature tables.
2026 WSOP Livestreaming FAQ's
Will I have to pay to watch the 2026 WSOP?
No, daily coverage of the 2026 WSOP will be available on YouTube, Twitch, X, and Facebook.
Will ESPN televise the 2026 World Series of Poker?
ESPN will only cover the Main Event, with daily livestreaming on the ESPN app leading up to the final table, which will be livestream on ESPN or ESPN2. The major sports network will then condense Main Event coverage into edited versions to air on ESPN or ESPN2.
Will CBS Sports Network televise the 2026 World Series of Poker?
No, CBS Sports Network is no longer involved in WSOP coverage, and the Main Event is moving back to ESPN.
Is PokerGO livestreaming the 2026 WSOP?
No, PokerGO is no longer livestreaming the World Series of Poker, although they are still involved with the production of the livestreams.
Can I watch the 2026 WSOP for free?
Yes, the entire 2026 WSOP will be available for free livestreaming.
Are Lon McEachern and Norman Chad braodcasting the 2026 WSOP?
For the 24th straight year, Lon McEachern and Norman Chad will commentate on the 2026 WSOP Main Event, but they will not be involved with the daily livestreams through the series. The broadcast duo will only provide commentary for the edited versions of Main Event coverage on ESPN.
Where can I watch daily livestreams of the 2026 WSOP?
You can watch daily livestreams of the 2026 WSOP on the WSOP's YouTube, X, Facebook, and Twitch channels.
