TOP FIVE LIST: The top ways to watch pro wrestling on a tight budget headed into 2026 including free NXT, on demand nostalgia content, fresh weekly indy series, streaming women’s wrestling

I don’t think I’m alone going into 2026 uncertain how all bills will be covered, while trying to eliminate the debt that 2025 brought on. Part of this is my own personal choice, as in 2025 I opened a brick and mortar retail business that sells physical media and toys, hoping there are enough dinosaurs that still use that stuff to make it a success. Much of the debt was gonna happen anyway, as a main factor of opening this business is wondering about the future of the industry I was in, and still do on a full time basis so bills are paid while taking on this new adventure.

The day job is in commission sales, and nothing will tell you the state of an economy like working on commission. There are days you’re balling, and some days you’re Broke Corbin. Broke is a feeling all too many know, and the number seems to be growing.

So how are you supposed to afford being a wrestling fan? Raw? Netflix. PLEs? ESPN+? NXT? Have the right package or if your placement is right and your TV is new enough, a pair of rabbit ears. Smackdown? An entire cable package. AEW and now TNA can be included with that now, but do you want to pay $100 a month for the wrestling shows if you’re not watching anything else.

Especially after all the costs that come with the holiday season, I thought I’d share ways to scratch your itch as a wrestling fan, and all you need is an internet connection strong enough to stream video.

Triller

If you are a wrestling fan outside of WWE wrestling, then you should know about Triller. It’s a sports channel that is an easy platform for smaller companies to get onto that will promote the shows for you.

Much like when you deal with Peacock, there are tiers to what Triller offers. They are a source of PPV shows for TNA, and used to have AEW PPV as well, and still do internationally. On the Triller+ tier, you have tons of shows on demand and live. If you like GCW, this is a must have, but comes at a cost.

Triller also has a ton of cards, interviews, and podcasts on the platform for free as well. Not much on the free side is uniquely available there, so you may not need the app if you can pull the same stuff up on YouTube. Where it’s nice though, is to open yourself up to a promotion you wouldn’t have thought about. Maybe you catch someone who hasn’t been on TV for a while, or maybe you catch tomorrow’s new star.

Pluto TV

A free app you should always have available to you. It’s old school cable, just a menu where you watch what’s on, no recording. It does have plenty of on demand options as well.

When it comes to wrestling, you have a WOW (Women of Wrestling) channel as well as a 24/7 feed of old TNA content. You never know what you’ll find. Sometimes the ring has four sides, and other times six. It could be a PPV card or a marathon of Impact episodes. So many of the stars from their hottest years went on to larger platforms and it’s fun to see them when younger and developing.

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Check out the latest episode of “Wrestling Coast to Coast” with Chris Maitland and Justin McClelland, part of the PWTorch Dailycast line-up: CLICK HERE to stream (or search “pwtorch” on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or any other iOS or Android app to subscribe free)

CW App

You may not be able to watch NXT live, but the CW app is free, and will have each episode available the next day.

Tubi

You can also find NXT on Tubi, along with the weekly Evolve show and a lot of documentary content. Not just from WWE, either. Old episodes of “Dark Side of the Ring” can be found here as well as CZW, WEW, and independent documentaries on the likes oh Hulk Hogan and Vampiro.

YouTube

The ultimate free app has no shortage of wrestling content. There are first run live AAA shows sponsored by WWE. JCW has been on weekly each Thursday (with a really fun episodic wrestling sideshow that too many are sleeping on). You can also pull up footage from most local independent wrestling shows, like Battleground Pro Wrestling in Greeley, Col.

WWE has been a huge partner for the platform, now launching vault channels with older in-ring and documentary content. The hope with this is to get you to pay for the newer content, while monetizing the old stuff, but you can stay strong. Be like Roddy Piper’s character from “They Live.” You don’t have to obey all the commercialism, but you can still mooch off of what they let us all have.

Do you live in Colorado? Nerdstalgia’s Grand Opening Party is happening on January 24th and you’re invited. Free wrestling shows featuring local talent from BPW.

(Griffin is a lifelong fan of wrestling, superheroes, and rebellious music of all forms. He is the owner of Nerdstalgia, and you can shop online, learn about visiting the store in Colorado Springs, or catch him at a comic con in the Rocky Mountain area by going to http://nerdstalgia.sho.)