As wrestling fans prepare to descend upon Las Vegas for WWE's WrestleMania 41, demand has steadily grown so much over the years that it's now bulked up into a dayslong event.
While WrestleMania matches will be held on April 19 and 20, a flurry of activities will take place in the days before and after, including meet and greets with wrestlers, a WWE Hall of Fame ceremony, matches for weekly television shows including “Smackdown,” “Raw,” and “NXT” and a Roast of WrestleMania hosted by comedian Tony Hinchcliffe.
The build-out of activities is similar to what the NFL does for the Super Bowl, which hosts meet and greets with current and former football players, flag football clinics, food experiences and other events.
WrestleMania has come a long way since its start in March 1985. Back then it was a one-night event that focused primarily on the wrestling matches, with celebrities like Mr. T, Liberace and Muhammad Ali sprinkled in.
By 2016 there were more than 100,000 fans in attendance for WrestleMania 32 in Arlington, Texas. The annual event was expanded in 2020 to two days of wrestling matches with WrestleMania 36.
WrestleMania 41 is being held at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, the same location where the Super Bowl was held last year. Similarly, WrestleMania 42 will be held at Caesars Superdome in New Orleans in 2026. That's where this year's Super Bowl was held.
Jason Cieslak, global president of global brand consultancy Siegel+Gale, said that WWE has managed to find a way to continue to have WrestleMania successfully pay dividends for the company over time.
“There is a considerable benefit to treating WrestleMania like the Super Bowl or the World Cup,” he said. “WWE has been masterful at looping in celebrities for participation and leveraging social channels to build excitement for the event.”
WrestleMania's expansion to several days worth of activities and events is a benefit to the brand.
“From a brand perspective, it makes what once was a narrow social event into something more mainstream and entertaining,” Cieslak said. “This is a major accomplishment when you consider the brand’s origins.”
Sports entertainment company WWE, which is part of TKO Group Holdings, has previously said that WrestleMania, SummerSlam and Royal Rumble have a combined economic impact of more than $300 million.
Live events are a significant component of TKO's business. The New York company, which also owns UFC, hosted more than 300 live events worldwide last year.
Jefferies' Randal Konik said in a recent client note that he anticipates the momentum that TKO's live events have to continue throughout this year.
“We believe TKO will continue to have multiple levers to drive live event expansion from increased ticket pricing to greater implementation of site fees,” he wrote.
FILE - Wrestling fans cheer during the WWE Monday Night RAW event, Monday, March 6, 2023, in Boston. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa, File)
FILE - A WrestleMania sign hangs over the crowd during a WWE event, Monday, March 6, 2023, in Boston. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa, File)
FILE - Cody Rhodes celebrates after winning the Undisputed WWE universal championship match during WrestleMania 40 at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia, on Sunday, April 7, 2024. (Monica Herndon/The Philadelphia Inquirer via AP, File)
