WWE Announces Record Attendance & Viewership for Payback 2023

– WWE’s corporate website has announced that this year’s WWE Payback event drew record “viewership, gate, and merchandise” numbers for the promotion. According to WWE, the event was most-watched and highest-grossing Payback event in the company’s history.

The event drew an announced attendance of 12,468. The viewership was also 36% higher than the previous record set by Payback in 2016. It also had the largest gate for any Payback event ever, higher than the previous record set by the 2016 event in Chicago, Illinois. Here’s the full press release:

WWE PAYBACK DELIVERS RECORDS FOR VIEWERSHIP, GATE & MERCHANDISE

STAMFORD, Conn., September 5, 2023 – WWE® (NYSE: WWE) today announced that Payback, which emanated from PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh, became the most-watched and highest-grossing Payback in company history. The premium live event set new records for viewership, gate and merchandise.

Viewership of Payback was up 36 percent versus the previous record set in 2016. With 12,468 in attendance, it marked the largest gate ever for any Payback, up 13 percent versus the prior record set in Chicago in 2016. Payback also became the highest-grossing WWE event ever held in Pittsburgh.

In addition, Payback broke the all-time event merchandise record. In partnership with special event retail partner Fanatics, merchandise sales were up 182 percent versus the previous record set in 2017.

2023 Payback was also the most-viewed social Payback of all time with a combined 146 million social views, up 44 percent from the previous record set in 2020. The most-viewed moment across social platforms was Cody Rhodes announcing Jey Uso would be joining the Monday Night Raw roster which generated more than seven million social views across all platforms in one day.