WWE Ticket Prices: Greed Or We Are Spoiled?

 

Since Endeavor took over WWE and created TKO housing WWE and UFC. Fans have been increasingly irritated by the ticket prices being charged. While you may could rationalize a PLE especially the big four going up in price, TKO didn't stop there and raised prices on RAW and Smackdown.

In fact ticket prices for John Cena's final event at Madison Square Garden were topping out at $3,000 a ticket. For a Monday night RAW? So president of TKO Mark Shapiro during a recent interview, explained the thought process behind these ticket prices. He used a lot of corporate jargon like "ticket yield" and "site fees". 

However breaking it down is what we all know, TKO wants to squeeze every dollar out of fans that they can. He also mentioned WWE "ticket yield" needs to catch up to UFC. Which I believe is short sighted in that UFC puts on maybe 30-40 events a year. While WWE has 3 weekly shows, a PLE or 2 each month, and occasional events here and there. So while UFC can charge exorbitant prices for their events because they are a little more infrequent. WWE cycles through the same markets and needs to be more cautious with their offerings.

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He also mentioned something that got me thinking. He said Vince McMahon priced tickets for families. While that is true and made attending events more affordable. I wonder if that has led us fans becoming spoiled?

Yeah, we expected to pay for a Royal Rumble, Wrestlemania, or Summerslam. When it came to televised events and house shows you could typically get great seats for $300 or less, depending on your budget and where you wanted to sit etc. Now those prices are a thing of the past and we're pissed.

Like other entertainment avenues, TKO is trying to cater to upper income folks with the means to spend. The on location packages and some of the other stuff their shilling is clearly for rich people. When you look around the landscape pro sports teams are pushing that to, with special suites etc. Theme parks if you pay more you get these perks. Even concerts when they go to towns some of their packages are outrageous. It's all about giving that feeling of exclusivity.

Which leads to another problem that will eventually burn in TKO's face. Most of the "fans" they are trying to attract likely won't be around for the long haul. Wrestling's back trendy so they are hoping on the bandwagon. What will they do when they no longer are interested? If TKO prices families out that they can't take young children. How will their fanbase grow? If you get kids involved at a young age, 9 times out of 10 they will stick with wrestling well into adulthood.

Did Vince McMahon's WWE create this monster? Or TKO is out of touch? I personally think its the later especially in this economy. Wrestling promotions, AEW especially should hop on this, and start marketing how affordable they are as a way to draw in more fans. It can't and won't hurt them.

I haven't been to a WWE event since Summerslam in Cleveland, and the RAW after in Baltimore. I haven't had a desire to attend any more WWE shows, part because I'm washed now and can't hang until 11:00 pm. Second as a parent of two I rather allocate more money to experiences and memories with them. Third I'm not as invested in the product as I once was. Lastly I'm just cheap and have a firm cutoff price for seats etc. unless I just can't miss an event.

I know TKO has a mountain of debt they need to pay back from acquiring WWE and PBR. However, they are going about it wrong with these ticket prices. Yes, we were a bit spoiled with ticket prices in the McMahon era. TKO has gon OD though and it's all due to greed.