Key Names Behind WWE Royal Rumble Broadcast Revealed

WWE’s first Royal Rumble event in the Middle East had fans talking for a lot of reasons—but now we know who was actually calling the shots behind the cameras.

According to PWInsider, longtime WWE SmackDown director Lee Lipschulz was responsible for producing the 2026 Royal Rumble broadcast in Riyadh. That included not just the in-ring action, but full control over the pre-show and post-show segments as well.

Typically, WWE veteran Marty Miller handles directing duties for the company’s biggest shows, including WrestleMania, SummerSlam, and the Royal Rumble itself. But this time, Miller didn’t make the trip. Instead, he stayed stateside to direct TKO’s Zuffa Boxing broadcast, which streamed live on Paramount+ during the same weekend.

Miller is one of WWE’s most experienced production minds, having been with the company since 1995. In fact, his first major assignment came during that year’s Royal Rumble. Since then, he’s become a key figure behind WWE’s television presentation and pacing.

With Miller unavailable, Lipschulz was handed full control—and it came during a show that was already under scrutiny due to awkward visuals caused by an LED lighting experiment that made the venue appear more empty on TV than it was in reality.

This behind-the-scenes change sheds new light on some of the broadcast choices, pacing differences, and production issues fans noted during the event. WWE may not repeat the same lighting setup, but the director’s chair might rotate more often than fans think.

Do you think WWE should stick with Lee Lipschulz for future PLEs, or should Marty Miller return to directing the company’s biggest shows? Leave a comment and let us know.