Report Breaks Down WWE's Annual Attendance Trends

In terms of financial success, 2023 was one of the biggest years in WWE history. The company continued setting records in earnings as well as PLE viewership throughout the year, and a new report from Wrestlenomics takes a look at how last year's attendance compares to previous years.

Using a combination of officially reported data and estimates, Wrestlenomics' Brandon Thurston compiled a chart showing WWE's total ticket sales as well as average ticket sales per event from 2023 back to 1996. Based on the data, in terms of average attendance per show, 2023 was WWE's best year since 2002. The company is estimated to have sold 1.74 million tickets last year across 220 events. While there are years in the recent past where WWE has sold more tickets, it's important to note that they've scaled back their live event schedule quite a bit, saving them plenty of money.

Thurston notes that it's difficult to compare WWE's attendance success to past years due to the vastly different live event schedules. However, it is safe to say that 2023 was a strong year, outperforming 2022 and 2019 despite both of those years featuring more live events than last year.

While it's possible to quibble about the degree of WWE's live event attendance success last year, it's impossible to deny that the company is reaching new heights financially. Though their total 2023 earnings have yet to be reported, WWE reported record revenue in the second quarter. Last year's WWE Money in the Bank also became the company's highest-grossing arena event on record, and things don't appear to be slowing down in 2024. The upcoming WWE WrestleMania 40 is already breaking records despite being months away.