Add as a preferred source on Google TKO President and COO Mark Shapiro said the fan experience and WWE‘s new ESPN deal were behind the decision to keep SummerSlam a two-night event.
Speaking on TKO’s second-quarter earnings call, Shapiro called the Minneapolis weekend a big success.
“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 said.
SummerSlam ran at U.S. Bank Stadium, WWE’s first stadium show in Minneapolis. It was also the first SummerSlam under the new deal that made ESPN the home of WWE’s premium live events in the U.S.
Shapiro added:
“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.”
TKO’s numbers back that up. WWE revenue was up 12% year-over-year in the quarter to $620.9 million, driven largely by the ESPN deal. sec
It was the first WWE premium live event in Minneapolis since TLC in 2019.