Pressure On WWE & TKO, Yet More Fan AND Talent Backlash Over Ticket Prices (WWE News)

BodySlam+ (as reported via @thebackstagebrawl on Instagram) claims that no less than "6-8 top tier WWE superstars" have recently gone to management and expressed their concerns over the state of company ticket prices for events like Raw, SmackDown and even major PLEs such as WrestleMania 42.

This has caused "internal discussions" about what can be done, and it's why prices for this month's 'Mania weekender (which isn't sold out on either night at time of writing) have started to drop...slightly. The belief amongst those wrestlers complaining is that even well-known and loyal fixtures around ringside, like the 'Green Shirt Guy' are struggling to justify rising costs.

If the hardcores are starting to think twice about paying, then WWE's roster recognises the problem and is worried about the long-term effects something like that could have on business. Meanwhile, TKO has always maintained that "dynamic pricing" and high price points are a good thing, but they're only really looking at the bottom line.

In BodySlam's write-up, the following sentence stood out: "There is growing pressure behind the scenes for TKO to reassess the current pricing model before it begins to impact long-term fan engagement and event perception".

In truth, that has already happened to an extent. WWE events have become less and less about entertaining families or those with some disposable income. The jaw-dropping prices have been rising and rising since TKO seized control of the promotion, and it simply isn't sustainable if they want to sell out arenas/stadiums or continue to foster audience goodwill.

It looks like CM Punk's fiery promo on Raw could be a catalyst for change behind the scenes.