10 Reasons Why WWE Live Event Attendances Are Shrinking

9. Burnout

SummerSlam Empty
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Unflattering images of sparsely attended TV tapings have become increasingly common in 2017, with this week's SmackDown the latest to go viral. The photos (particularly those taken midway through the show, when every attendee his filed into the building) are embarrassing, but looking at WWE's recent history in the local area goes some way to explaining them.

SD was held in Glendale, Arizona - a city located just nine miles from downtown Houston. In total, WWE have already hosted five different events in the area this year, including two SmackDowns, a Raw, a house show, and the Elimination Chamber pay-per-view. That's a lot, and the oversaturation is partly culpable for the decline.

WWE are holding more events than ever before (280 in 2016), and returning to strong markets with increased frequency. This sounds great on paper, but shows lose their appeal when they become commonplace, which is exactly what's happening here. Markets like Phoenix/Glendale are so "super-served" that there's no pressing need to rush for tickets to a WWE show when they know the company will return a few months later anyway, hence the number of empty seats at SmackDown this week.

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Andy has been with WhatCulture for six years and is currently WhatCulture's Senior Wrestling Reporter. A writer, presenter, and editor with 10+ years of experience in online media, he has been a sponge for all wrestling knowledge since playing an old Royal Rumble 1992 VHS to ruin in his childhood. Having previously worked for Bleacher Report, Andy specialises in short and long-form writing, video presenting, voiceover acting, and editing, all characterised by expert wrestling knowledge and commentary. Andy is as much a fan of 1985 Jim Crockett Promotions as he is present-day AEW and WWE - just don't make him choose between the two.