WrestleMania 42 Ticket Sales Blamed For WWE Live Event Revenue Being Down Compared To Second Quarter 2025

TKO posted its second quarter 2026 financials on Monday, and while most numbers were up for WWE, the live event revenue was down.

In the second quarter of 2025, WWE live event revenue was $185.7 million. This year, the live event revenue dropped $33.7 million to $152 million.

In the report, TKO noted the decrease “due to a decrease in ticket sales revenue, almost exclusively related to WrestleMania 42 in Las Vegas, compared to the prior year period.”

During the media call, TKO CFO Andrew Schleimer provided more insight, saying, “We staged more events, more international events as well, 22 vs. 2 in the prior year quarter. This is an investment in WWE in broadening and growing the fanbase. This is deliberate, just like going back to Vegas for a second year for WrestleMania was deliberate. WrestleMania live event revenue for 2026, despite being lower than 2025, was still one of the largest box offices in the history of WWE, and we earned a meaningful financial incentive package to go back 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.”

WrestleMania 41 was also held in Las Vegas.

Elsewhere during the call, Mark Shapiro explained running a two-night SummerSlam. You can find his comments here.

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