WWE Planning MORE Shows In Saudi Arabia?
Is WWE on the verge of upping its Saudi deal to more than 2 shows per year?
WWE president and chief revenue officer Nick Khan has suggested the promotion may be on the verge of upping the number of events it runs in Saudi Arabia.
Speaking during yesterday's WWE Q4 2021 earnings call, Khan responded to a question about the company's Saudi deal by asking "Why limit it to just two? Let's see what happens in the next couple of months."
The promotion's next Saudi Arabian event, Elimination Chamber 2022, takes place in Jeddah on Saturday, 19 February.
These shows are part of an initial 10-year deal signed by WWE and the Saudi General Entertainment Authority in 2018. Vince McMahon's promotion currently aims to travel to the country twice annually, though this was hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic's onset and its myriad travel restrictions, which prevented any events taking place between February 2020 (Super ShowDown) and October 2021 (Crown Jewel).
WWE doesn't currently have a specific pay-per-view scheduled for October, which could be where another Saudi show slots in. Whether or not it will make space for one (or more?) on top of that remains to be seen.
The promotion has attracted earned controversy for its deal with the Saudi General Entertainment Authority, from which it earns around $50 million per show. Part of the nation's Saudi Vision 2030 program, the deal sees WWE profiting directly from a regime with an abhorrent human rights record, participating in a sportswashing campaign to rehabilitate its image.