WWE Considering Cutting Back On Live Events, Holding More Joint-Brand Supershows

As we previously reported, WWE cancelled their entire Smackdown tour last weekened due to poor advance ticket sales and wanting certain talent for RAW this Monday. This included shows in Bowling Green, KY (August 3), Danville, IL (August 4) and Kalamazoo, MI (August 5). It should be noted that most live events have had attendance of 1,500 to 2,000, so this could mean the advance sales were below that if the tour was cancelled.

The Wrestling Observer Newsletter reports that there has been talk in WWE of reducing the number of live event dates the company holds in general and holding more joint-branded supershows. The idea is that they would get more fans to attend a Supershow, as the “Supershow” name itself would be a draw and, potentially, would let them include more stars per event instead of having to split talent.

It would also eliminate weaker shows which bring down the quarterly average. The WON notes that investors weren’t made aware that house show attendance was down in the last quarter, which dropped from an average of 5,000 to 4,700 in North America, which wasn’t seen as bad as the Network and rating drops. If WWE drops the number of live events per quarter from sixty to fifty-two, that’s eight lower-drawing shows remvoed and it would boost PPVs and live RAWs. With the profit margin on live events down to break/even levels in some quarters, the cancelled shows were likely ones that would have lost the company money with advertising and other costs. The shows were also mostly Monday shows, which were expected to draw less than 2,000.