TKO head Mark Shapiro has given a statement on WWE ticket prices and how they plan to do things differently in a post-Vince McMahon company, with some comments that will definitely make some fans unhappy.
Following the TKO takeover of WWE back in late 2023, fans have noticed a sharp increase in ticket prices compared to just a few years ago. While front row seats for major events are now well into the 5 figures for the biggest events, fans have often posted screenshots of tickets in the nosebleeds still having extortionate prices. For example, tickets for Clash at the Castle in Glasgow, Scotland in 2024 were around £250 ($338) each on average, and tickets for WrestleMania 40 were around $1,000 (£740) for a weekend combo ticket, not factoring in travel and accommodation.
Recently, a clip went viral as a fan questioned Nick Khan on why ticket prices were so high. While speaking at the Goldman Sachs Communacopia & Technology Conference on September 10, Shaprio stated that WWE still has work to do to get to the level of UFC, noting that McMahon had the mantra that wrestling was more for families and was not maximising the revenue opportunity:
“WWE is not where the UFC yet is on ticket yield. We have our work to do there. We know we have a lot of room there because Vince McMahon was primarily pricing tickets for families and wasn’t totally focused on maxing the opportunity there. Now that we’ve seen what we can do with UFC, we’re replicating that in terms of ticket yield and holding back and advance sales when it comes to OnLocation on the WWE side and it’s working out really well,” he said.
TKO Head Issues Another Bleak Message For WWE Events In Post-Vince McMahon Era
At recent Premium Live Events, including Clash in Paris, WWE has regularly touted the success of its shows and how they have broken the arena gate record, with the Paris show taking more money than a Taylor Swift concert. In what could be regarded as a warning to other cities, Shapiro stated that cities will have to pay big if they want repeat business:
“If we have a St. Louis going up against a Des Moines, Iowa, and you want us back there and you’ve broken records and sold out both your arenas, you have to pay for us to come back or else we’ll take it to another town. And that goes for NXT, Raw and SmackDown on the WWE side.”
McMahon resigned from WWE in early 2024 after being accused of sexual assault and trafficking by former employee Jamel Grant in a lawsuit that was filed.
H/t to F4WOnline for the use of transcriptions.
Featured image: TKO
