Backstage Update On WWE Bringing Live Fans To The ThunderDome
WWE's ThunderDome is empty at the moment, but are live audiences on their way to Tropicana Field?
The Toronto Raptors welcoming around 3,200 fans to Orlando, Florida's Amway Center for NBA pre-season games could open the door for WWE bringing live audiences to its new Tropicana Field home.
WWE recently relocated from the Anway Center to the St. Petersburg, FL baseball stadium, with last week's SmackDown serving as the first broadcast from the new location. As previously reported, Vince McMahon's promotion want a live crowd for Royal Rumble 2021 in January, so the Raptors' move could prompt WWE to take their own action.
Toronto's first attended game is against the Miami Heat on 18 December. Capacity will be increased to around 3,800 for regular season games after that, though floor seats and others within 30ft of the basketball court wont be made available. WWE may opt for a similar approach.
WWE currently invites a select number of audience members to attend NXT at the Capitol Wrestling Center every week, though it would presumably want more for something like the Royal Rumble. Technically, the company has been able to bring audiences back for a while now, with state Governor Ron DeSantis dropping restrictions related to the ongoing global health crisis in September.