WWE PPV Locations

[cyhh2002]

Since 2012 aside from WrestleMania, I noticed that the WWE would reserve five of its PPVs to the so-called "Big Five" top-drawing markets which are East Rutherford/Brooklyn, Los Angeles, Chicago, St. Louis and Boston while the remaining PPVs are held in other top-drawing markets such as Philadelphia, Houston, Dallas, Atlanta and Miami while ignoring low-drawing markets like Seattle, Kansas City, San Antonio and Denver. Your thoughts about this trend?

 

[Mighty NorCal]

Our thoughts? Other than this being elementary buisness logic, and there isn't really any other way to go about it?

You are of course going to save your best drawing shows for your best drawing markets. Wrestling is about drawing money.

 

[The Butcher]

It makes sense and my town is on the list of towns that get a show, so hooray for that I guess. Beyond that can't think of much else to say about it.

 

[cyhh2002]

Well, I remember the last time Seattle hosted a PPV (2011 Over The Limit) it drew only 6500 people. By contrast, the 2012 Royal Rumble in St. Louis drew 18,121 people (the 2010 MITB in Kansas City only drew 8000 people).

 

[Stone Cold Tea]

Well, I remember the last time Seattle hosted a PPV (2011 Over The Limit) it drew only 6500 people. By contrast, the 2012 Royal Rumble in St. Louis drew 18,121 people (the 2010 MITB in Kansas City only drew 8000 people).

Over The Limit is a different type of beast to the Royal Rumble though.

 

[Burritocover]

All of the PPVs I've been to in San Jose have been sold out or at least very close to sell outs so I don't understand why we don't get more. It was listed as an A city or whatever the top was when that list of city rankings leaked a while back. Before Wrestlemania this year the last thing we had was Elimination Chamber in Oakland which is like 40 miles away in I think 2011. Before that I want to say the Great American Bash in maybe 08. I think we should get one every other year at least.

 

[Azane]

WWE puts big shows in big markets.... What's the question again?

I mean, It just makes sense.

 

[The Brain]

Like others have said it's pretty obvious WWE would avoid low drawing markets with their bigger shows. Why put a big show in a place that won't draw? On the other hand maybe what is normally a low drawing market would draw better if they put a bigger show there rather than just a house show. I'm sure WWE has research people in place to advise them of these decisions though.

Since I am in one of the better drawing markets it should make no difference to me at all where PPVs are held. When I'm watching on tv they all look the same. For some reason though I would like to see them spread out. Places like Denver, Oklahoma, Alabama, and Arkansas have only had one PPV ever. Off the top of my head I don't know when the last time a PPV was in Canada but it feels like it's been a while. Places like Kansas, Utah, and New Mexico have never gotten a PPV. Again, I'm sure WWE has a research team that tells them these places would not be profitable but if money wasn't an issue I would like to see WWE spread the PPV love around.

 

[Navi]

Since I am in one of the better drawing markets it should make no difference to me at all where PPVs are held. When I'm watching on tv they all look the same. For some reason though I would like to see them spread out. Places like Denver, Oklahoma, Alabama, and Arkansas have only had one PPV ever. Off the top of my head I don't know when the last time a PPV was in Canada but it feels like it's been a while. Places like Kansas, Utah, and New Mexico have never gotten a PPV. Again, I'm sure WWE has a research team that tells them these places would not be profitable but if money wasn't an issue I would like to see WWE spread the PPV love around.

The last time there was a PPV in Canada it was 2009. Breaking Point was in Montreal, and the last time Toronto had a PPV it was Unforgiven in 2006.

We can pack about 10k into the Ricoh, and over 16k into the Air Canada Centre, Skydome/Rogers Centre holds over 64k, but we can't get a PPV to save our lives. We don't even get RAW anymore. When I read that SD in Albany had to tarp off huge sections of the arena because of slow ticket sales, only about 6,000 showed up. A house show in Toronto will sell out the Ricoh. When we did get RAW the Air Canada Centre sold out in minutes each time. So it's not lack of fan support here in this city.

Someone said it's something to do with the fans, or the taxes the City of Toronto charge, but we've had two Wrestlemania's here, and they were both very successful for the WWE.

I don't know why they keep going back to the same cities every year, would be nice for them to change it up. Also don't see why they grade the cities, Toronto getting an "A" every year, if they're not going to bother hosting a televised show here.

 

[Redemption-2012]

It makes perfect sense and it's a smart move on WWE's part. I would not have top drawing events in cities like Kansas City, Greenbay or Denver. You also want to have that "big event feel" for the bigger level events that you would otherwise not get elsewhere.

 

[cyhh2002]

It makes perfect sense and it's a smart move on WWE's part. I would not have top drawing events in cities like Kansas City, Greenbay or Denver. You also want to have that "big event feel" for the bigger level events that you would otherwise not get elsewhere.

Good point. Like I posted earlier, KC and Denver do not draw very well for WWE events. It seems as if though whenever the WWE has a PPV in Missouri, it's almost always in St. Louis due to being one of the traditional wrestling cities as well as Randy Orton's hometown. I'm thinking that STL will probably be getting Extreme Rules in 2016.

As for why Canada hardly ever gets any WWE events, I think it has to do with strict border crossing restrictions as not everyone can visit Canada.