As reported by PWMania.com, TKO Group Holdings has released its financial results for the second quarter of the year.
The report revealed that WWE’s live event revenue fell to $152 million, down from $185.7 million in the second quarter of 2025. This decrease in revenue was primarily due to a reduction in ticket sales, particularly for WrestleMania 42 in Las Vegas, compared to the same period last year.
Discussion about the lower ticket sales for WrestleMania 42 was prominent leading up to the event. WrestleMania 42 announced an attendance of 50,386 on Saturday and 50,816 on Sunday, compared to 61,467 and 63,226 for WrestleMania 41.
During the earnings call, TKO Chief Financial Officer Andrew Schleimer addressed this issue, acknowledging that returning to Las Vegas would likely result in lower revenue. He also mentioned that the company has organized many more international events, which he described as an “investment.”
Schleimer said, “We staged more events, more international events as well, 22 vs. 2 in the prior year quarter. This is an investment in WWE to broaden and grow the fanbase. This is deliberate, just as going back to Vegas for a second year for WrestleMania was. WrestleMania live event revenue in 2026, despite being lower than 2025, was still one of the largest box office draws in WWE history, and we earned a meaningful financial incentive package to return to the state of Nevada. Those economics were less than the prior year, but still beneficial to the company. We increasingly view our events, not just as live events, but as media events that drive viewership and fan engagement across social and help us monetize our most valuable assets. As long as we believe going to a certain location is going to check those boxes, we’re going to make those strategic investments in the long-term.”
(H/T to Fightful for transcribing the above quotes)
