Marc Mero Reveals Very Low Royalty Payment From WWE For 2019

Marc Mero has shared the details of his 2019 royalty payment from WWE as an example of how talent doesn’t get properly compensated for their contributions. The WWE alumnus took to his Twitter account on Wednesday to note that he found an old royalty statement from 2019. Mero posted images of the statement in the post, which reveal that for the year he earned $71.47. $42.71 was for the fourth quarter of the year.

The statement notes that the $71.47 was based on royalties WWE made WWE earned royalties of $39,590.81. The royalties are for WWE Home Video revenue through Warner Bros. and include titles about The Rock, Owen Hart, the Monday Night Wars, and more. Mero’s royalty rate was anywhere from 0.029% to 0.25%.

Mero wrote in the post:

I’ve been asked many times what wrestlers actually make in royalties from the WWE, so let me give you a real example.

I left the WWE years ago, and more than 20 years later, in 2019, I came across an old royalty statement. When you look at how much money many wrestlers help generate versus how little they’re actually paid, it’s honestly hard to believe.

On this statement, even after being out of wrestling for over two decades, I was still partly responsible for $39,590.81 in revenue.

My royalty payment for that?

$71.47.

That’s the reality for a lot of wrestlers. We helped build the brand, the characters, and the moments fans still watch today, yet the compensation rarely reflects the value that was created.

Mero was part of the WWE roster from 1996 through 1999. He had a run with the WWE Intercontinental Championship during the latter run.

I’ve been asked many times what wrestlers actually make in royalties from the WWE, so let me give you a real example.

I left the WWE years ago, and more than 20 years later, in 2019, I came across an old royalty statement. When you look at how much money many wrestlers help… pic.twitter.com/AKy5330YXv

— Marc Mero (@MarcMero) January 22, 2026