The 2026 WWE Royal Rumble is officially locked into an unconventional start time.
And it’s a noticeable shift from what fans are used to.
Following internal discussions, WWE has settled on a 2:00 PM E.T. start time for the Royal Rumble premium live event, which will take place in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
The earlier start reflects the logistical balance between local time in Saudi Arabia and WWE’s global broadcast window.
This isn’t the only change coming to one of WWE’s biggest annual shows.
As previously reported, the 2026 Royal Rumble is currently scheduled to feature just four matches.
The card will be built around the men’s and women’s Royal Rumble matches, with two championship bouts filling out the rest of the lineup.
Less is more.
At least on paper.
The streamlined approach mirrors WWE’s recent philosophy with major events, most notably Survivor Series: WarGames 2025, which also utilized a lean, four-match format centered on high-stakes stipulations and title contests rather than an overloaded card.
As of now, WWE has not finalized which championships will be defended on the show. Officials are still evaluating potential matchups as storylines continue to take shape across multiple brands.
With the Royal Rumble still over a month away, WWE is intentionally keeping its options open, as to allow flexibility as plans evolve heading into the company’s marquee kickoff event of 2026.
The 39th annual WWE Royal Rumble premium live event will take place on Saturday, January 31, 2026, from the Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, as part of the annual Riyadh Season.
For those interested, you can read spoilers on who is planned to win the 2026 men’s WWE Royal Rumble match here at WrestlingHeadlines.com.
Make sure to join us here at WrestlingHeadlines.com on 1/31 for live WWE Royal Rumble: Riyadh results coverage from Saudi Arabia.
(H/T: WrestleVotes Radio at Fightful Select)
