WWE Royal Rumble 2023: How to watch, start times, match card and peacock

With all the drama surrounding Vince McMahon’s tumultuous and real return to WWE, it’s surprisingly easy to forget that the company’s second-biggest pay-per-view is right around the corner. WWE Royal Rumble 2023 takes place on Saturday, January 28, different from the company’s usual Sunday schedule for PPV events.

So far, we know of four matches that will take place on the show. First, there are the two Royal Rumble matches themselves: one for men, one for women. Everyone can guess who will win these fights and earn their ticket to a title match at WrestleMania. On the men’s side, the possibilities range from Cody Rhodes to Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, who has long been rumored to wrestle Roman Reigns at WrestleMania.

Speaking of Reigns, he’ll be defending his WWE Universal Championship titles against Kevin Owens – a replay of their match at 2021 Royal Rumble, when Reigns’ title run was in its infancy. It’s crazy to think that Reigns held the Universal Championship for good over two years – and even crazier to think that Owens has a shot at ending this Royal Rumble run. But as telegraphed as the winner is, it should be a fun match.

More fun, of course, than Bray Wyatt’s comeback fight against LA Knight. People have been clamoring for Wyatt to return to the company, but we’ll see how long that excitement lasts given the goofy stories his mystical persona spawns. Wyatt and Knight will face off in a “lights out” match at the Rumble. Your guess is as good as mine.

game card

• WWE Universal Championship: Roman Reigns (c) vs. Kevin Owens.
• 30-player Royal Rumble match.
• 30-woman Royal Rumble match.
• Match Lights Out: Bray Wyatt vs. LA Knight.

Start times

Royal Rumble 2023 takes place at the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas. For those who don’t have a direct ticket, it starts at 5a.m. PT/8 p.m. ET. Grappling fans across the pond will have to stay up late, as the show starts at 1am UK time. In Australia, the Royal Rumble begins to noon AEDT on Sunday.

How to watch: Peacock, WWE Network, Binge

As you probably already know, Peacock is the new home of WWE pay-per-views. The WWE Network has basically migrated to NBC’s Peacock streaming service and that’s where you’ll go to watch Royal Rumble 2023. Peacock has three tiers: Free, Premium, and Premium Plus. To watch WWE content, you will need a Premium Membership. The good news is that it will cost you $5 per month, less than the $10 for WWE Network.

Just as the WWE Network was absorbed by Peacock in the United States, it migrated to Foxtel’s Binge streaming service in Australia. WWE’s deal with Binge went into effect earlier this month, so Binge is where Aussies should look for the Rumble, although the WWE Network is still up and running for now.

If you’re in the UK, you’ll be watching Royal Rumble 2023 on the WWE Network as usual.