WWE didn’t stretch SummerSlam across two nights just to sell more tickets. TKO President Mark Shapiro says the company believed the format gave fans a better overall experience while also giving WWE more exposure on ESPN.
SummerSlam returned as a two-night event for the second straight year, putting it alongside WrestleMania as one of WWE’s biggest weekend attractions. Speaking during the TKO earnings call, Shapiro called the Minnesota event a major success and pointed to the sold-out WWE FanFest and strong engagement surrounding the show.
“The two-day show was extraordinary, backed by a sold-out corresponding WWE FanFest, and delivered strong engagement metrics. Across TKO, we prioritize both the fan experience and improving profitability. They are not mutually exclusive, and they are not always in that order.”
Shapiro admitted WWE likely could have charged more per ticket by running SummerSlam as a single-night event. Instead, the company chose two nights because it believed the split card made the show easier to watch and gave WWE more time to promote its product through ESPN.
“We could have done SummerSlam on one night and likely had a higher ticket per cap, but in looking at that event, we chose two days because we thought it would be an overall fan experience, a better viewing experience on ESPN, and more marketing for our brand on ESPN.”
The location also played a role. Shapiro said WWE wanted to return to the Midwest because the company has not brought enough premium live events to that part of the country outside of Elimination Chamber in Chicago.
“We thought it was important to go back to the Midwest. Outside of Elimination Chamber in Chicago, we haven’t been doing enough of our PLEs in the Midwest.”
WWE clearly sees value in turning SummerSlam into a full weekend instead of packing everything into one long night. The company may leave some money on the table in ticket pricing, but the tradeoff is more programming, more promotion and a bigger event for the host city.
“We prioritize both the fan experience and improving profitability. They are not mutually exclusive, and they are not always in that order.”
SummerSlam now looks firmly established as a two-night event, especially with WWE viewing the format as a way to improve the fan experience while expanding the company’s reach through ESPN. Unless that strategy changes, fans may need to get used to SummerSlam becoming a full weekend every year.
Do you think SummerSlam works better as a two-night event, or should WWE return to one stacked show? Share your thoughts and feedback in the comments.
