WWE Considering Cutting Back On House Shows

Outside of TV tapings of Monday Night Raw and Friday Night SmackDown, WWE continue to hold main roster house shows, primarily over weekends with Saturday Night's Main Event and Sunday Stunner. The company also regularly holds house show tours in Europe, particularly in the United Kingdom. 

The number of house shows WWE runs in a calendar year looks set to fall, though, as Endeavor President Mark Shapiro told the UBS Global Media and Communications Conference that TKO are considering cutting back on WWE live events. 

"It's a little, all that, look, WWE. Just as an example, though, let's remember they have over 300 events a year with 170 televised. So there's probably, while all those other fights, there's a reason to have them, those cards, those, or excuse me, those Superstar events. On WWE, while there's a reason to have them because it's good for the brand, we're building audience, we're putting them on in C and D Counties, so we're really stretching the brand and we're amassing a greater array of eyeballs from all demos, so it's good for our long term growth," Shapiro stated.

"From a margin perspective, they are dilutive. So there's probably an opportunity as we go through our efficiencies and our synergy opportunities to cut back on some of those non-televised events, which of course will push our margin up. So we're going through that exercise now on the UFC side. I would, or let's say WWE, let's stay there for one more second. I'll just tell you when you talk about the experience economy there, we just put WrestleMania 40 on sale right in Philadelphia and 24 hours later we're sold out."

Despite Shapiro's statement, WrestleMania 40 has yet to sell out. The biggest event of 2024 will take place on April 6 and April 7 at Philadelphia's Lincoln Financial Field. 

WWE house shows were previously loss leaders for WWE, especially in the 2010s. How profitable the events are now is unknown. 

H/T PWInsider