JBL says ESPN is likely pushing for a two-night Royal Rumble in 2027
WWE Hall of Famer JBL told the Something To Wrestle podcast that he believes ESPN is likely pressing for the Royal Rumble to be staged as a two-night pay-per-view when WWE returns the event to the United States in February 2027 at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona. He added he had no inside knowledge of WWE’s discussions and that the matter involved negotiation between parties.
Reports have indicated WWE is actively considering converting the Royal Rumble into a two-night show, a format currently used only for WrestleMania and SummerSlam. Industry outlet WrestleVotes Radio has suggested the change could come as soon as the 2027 edition in Phoenix, Arizona.
Addressing who might be driving the proposal, JBL said he believed both WWE and its broadcast partners would be involved and singled out ESPN by name: “I would think it’s both. I don’t have any insight into what they’re doing, but obviously it’s a negotiation of both, and it’s probably ESPN. I’m sure they’re looking for something that weekend.”
The timing under discussion could place the Royal Rumble on the weekend between the NFL Conference Championships and the Super Bowl, a period JBL described as unusually quiet for sports. “That is one of the most dead weekends in sports. The NFL has tried to figure out a way to figure out what to do that weekend. I feel like that would probably be ESPN saying, we have a really big problem here with this weekend keeping people around leading up to the Super Bowl.”
JBL also argued the structure of the event lends itself to a split show because both the men’s and women’s Rumble matches are lengthy and mark the start of the road to WrestleMania. “The Rumble takes so long, well over an hour for the one match, and then you have the women’s match as well, so both of them are over an hour. They start the road to WrestleMania. So they’re big deals, these Royal Rumbles. So yeah, I think it makes perfect sense to separate the Rumbles from one night to the next, and then dress those around with the matches that you want.”
WWE has confirmed Royal Rumble 2027 will be held in the United States at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona, and the company has not announced an official date. The event is scheduled to take place in February, according to the reports.
WrestleVotes Radio reported WWE is seriously exploring the possibility of turning the Royal Rumble into a two-night event, with the change potentially taking effect at the 2027 Phoenix edition.