TKO’s Mark Shapiro denied that WWE ticket sales are down, even with lower sales for this year’s SummerSlam and WrestleMania 42.
During Wednesday’s TKO investors call for Q3 2026, Shapiro was asked about the numbers for both shows and called the idea that WWE’s sales are down “ghosts.”
Shapiro defended the move to Minneapolis for SummerSlam, held on August 1 and 2 at U.S. Bank Stadium, and said WWE’s decisions aren’t always just about money.
“We don’t make all of our decisions on just maximizing our profitability,” Shapiro said. “It’s about what’s best for our fans, our brand, our audience, viewership, and our media partners. Going back to the midwest is important to us, and Minnesota is a strong market and it performed extremely well in the stadium. We’re proud of that.”
Shapiro said they expected WrestleMania 42 to draw a smaller crowd in Las Vegas because tourism is down in the city as a whole, including fewer people from Canada.
On the Q2 call the day after SummerSlam, Shapiro said WWE could have done the show in one night with higher ticket prices. But he said they went with the two-night format for the fans’ experience and the ESPN broadcast.
Finally, Shapiro said WWE is still in a great spot.
“Engagement is strong, viewership is strong, and business is good at WWE,” he said.
But TKO’s own numbers tell a different story. The Q3 report said WWE was down $24.8 million in live events due to three fewer main roster PLEs and lower sales for SummerSlam.
In Q2, live events were down $33.7 million, with almost all of it due to WrestleMania 42. That’s down a total of $58.5 million in live events over six months compared to 2025.
WrestleTix reported that SummerSlam had 69,870 tickets distributed for both nights in Minneapolis, compared to 108,679 in 2025 at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey. That’s down more than a third.
WWE didn’t even announce an official attendance for the show. Dave Meltzer noted on Wrestling Observer Radio that it may be the first time that’s happened for a stadium show.