The 2026 WWE Royal Rumble is taking place on for Saturday, January 31, and there’s already controversy during the event. The 2026 edition of the WWE Royal Rumble features professional wrestling stars Bron Breakker, Cody Rhodes and Roman Reigns competing for their opportunity to headline the “Grandest Stage of Them All.”
“The card will also include a high-stakes Undisputed WWE Championship Match as champion Drew McIntyre defends his title against Sami Zayn,” a press release for the event from ESPN states, “In addition, AJ Styles will put his career on the line against ‘The Ring General’ Gunther.”
During the show, which is streaming live in the United States on ESPN through the ESPN app and internationally on Netflix, WWE fans are noticing something about the crowd that they don’t like.
Reaction to 2026 WWE Royal Rumble
The Royal Rumble is happening in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, for the 2026 edition. After the event started at 2 p.m. ET, fans took to social media to point out something about the crowd size.
“No…more…Saudia Arabia. The place is half empty,” one follower said on X. “They did not even show up for Sami Zayne.” Another said, “So many empty seats.”
“Embarrassing how empty the arena is,” another said. “Half the crowd is missing,” one more added. “So empty. Send England the rumble and we’d pack Wembley 90,000 easy,” another added.
Some followers pushed back on the idea that the crowd was light. “Anyone who says the seats aren’t full, look,” one follower said on X, sharing a photo of the audience.
Honestly, whether or not the arena was packed with people was difficult to tell watching the event, because of how they dimmed out the crowd. But, people certainly have their opinions, and they aren’t shy to share them.
Royal Rumble 2026 Viewing Details
The 2026 Royal Rumble started early, at 2 p.m. ET, because of its location in Saudi Arabia. U.S. viewers are only able to watch the event by ESPN and the ESPN app, but it also requires ESPN unlimited access.
For those watching outside of the country, viewers can watch the action on Netflix, but that also matters on each country. The Royal Rumble is not available to stream on Peacock at all.
“All WWE Premium Live Events, along with pre-event and post-event shows, are available to all fans with an ESPN Unlimited plan,” ESPN says in a press release, “which can be accessed as part of select MVPD subscriptions or directly through the ESPN App.” ESPN also states that subscribers to ESPN’s Unlimited plan have the additional option of watching WWE PLEs on Disney+.
Leading up to the event, ESPN also offered coverage. “ESPN platforms will feature an extensive lineup of WWE Superstars and personalities throughout Royal Rumble week, with appearances spanning morning, afternoon and evening studio programming,” they noted. “WWE talent will join shows across ESPN, ESPN2 and ESPN Deportes, as well as digital platforms, to preview the Premium Live Event and provide real-time reaction.”
So, ESPN is all over the 2026 Royal Rumble. Next up, the 2026 WrestleMania is set for Saturday, April 18, and Sunday, April 19 at Allegiant Stadium in Paradise, Nevada.
WWE Fans Lash Out at Crowd Size at Riyadh Royal Rumble