Why Night Of Champions Had A Bigger Card Than Most Recent WWE PPVs

In something that has increasingly become a rarity, WWE's Night of Champions pay-per-view featured a six-match card across the show's three-hour run time as the event aired from Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Matches included a Triple Threat for the Undisputed WWE Title, the finals of the King of the Ring and Queen of the Ring tournaments, Trick Williams vs. Ricky Saints for the WWE United States Championship, and Tiffany Stratton defending the Women's United States Title against Jade Cargill.

According to WrestleVotes Radio on Fightful Select, Night of Champions having more matches than many of WWE's recent pay-per-views was because of ESPN, who approached WWE about adding another match or two to the Night of Champions lineup in order to strengthen the paid portion of the pay-per-view that airs on ESPN Unlimited in the United States.

Since WrestleMania 42, the first hour of WWE's pay-per-views has aired on ESPN or ESPN 2 in the United States, before the remainder of the show is broadcast behind a paywall on ESPN Unlimited. International fans of WWE are able to watch pay-per-views on Netflix.

The expectation is the first hour of WWE pay-per-views will continue to air on ESPN or ESPN 2 through to the autumn of 2026.

Since ESPN Unlimited became WWE's pay-per-view partner in the United States in September 2025, only WrestleMania 42 and Night of Champions have featured six or more matches. Wrestlepalooza, Crown Jewel, Backlash, and Clash in Italy all had five-match cards, while Survivor Series, Royal Rumble, and Elimination Chamber featured four matches.