Report: WWE Ticket Prices Have Almost Doubled Since TKO Merger, Demand Not Affected
WWE has come under fire for its ticket prices as of late, with some pointing out how expensive it has become for families to attend the promotion's live events. The current situation has been compared unfavorably to Vince McMahon's reign, with people such as Bully Ray proclaiming that the former WWE Chairman would've never priced families out in such a manner.
According to data obtained from a third party and analyzed by Wrestlenomics, at least some of that feeling is backed up by fact. Attending "WWE Raw" and "SmackDown" events now costs about twice as much as it did just a few years ago, with the change seemingly tied to WWE's merger with the UFC under the umbrella of TKO.
The data shows that average ticket prices for live events as a whole didn't change much from 2023 to 2024, but they have skyrocketed for WWE events. From 2024 to this year alone, there has been a 60% increase in ticket prices. Comparing WWE's business to professional sports, it was noted that NFL ticket prices dipped this season compared to last, while NBA prices have increased 21%.
TKO President and COO Mark Shapiro was quoted commenting on the ticket price increase, noting that WWE was still behind the UFC in ticket revenue and teasing that prices will continue to increase. Shapiro also addressed McMahon's pricing, claiming the former executive didn't focus on maximizing profit.
Despite the record-high prices, attendance for WWE shows have been increasing
The data also pushes back on claims that wrestling has lost some of its demand. Despite the record-high prices, more people are attending both "SmackDown" and "RAW." Wrestlenomics cited a WrestleTix estimation that claimed events are having their third consecutive year of growth, averaging 11,500 per show in 2025 compared to the 11,000 from 2024.
The report also naturally took a look at AEW's domestic ticket prices in comparison, noting that their prices have instead decreased. The average ticket price for an AEW event in 2022 was $58, while that number has dropped to $49 this year. Meanwhile, attendance has declined. It was made clear, however, that these figures for AEW were only based on six samples, which is far fewer than previous years, due to AEW seeking a confidentiality clause when signing agreements with host venues.
Wrestlenomics even got into data from Live Nation, reporting that average ticketing fees have stayed at around $9 over the last few years. This indicates that the overall live ticket market hasn't increased dramatically since then, which is backed up by the fact that Live Nation's ticket prices have only increased by $12 on average since 2023.