WWE Cutting Back On Live Events Permanently?
WWE's live schedule may look very, very different once lockdown ends.
WWE is reportedly putting serious thought into permanently cutting back on the number of live events it books every year, once the world starts going back to normal.
This is according to Dave Meltzer. Speaking on the latest episode Wrestling Observer Radio, he said that WWE officials have discussed the matter extensively in recent times, with the cutbacks almost certainly restricted to house shows, not RAW, SmackDown, and NXT broadcasts.
Cutting back makes sense for several reasons. Live event attendances have been in decline for years, with the average show losing money, which is one of the biggest drivers behind the record-breaking profits expected in 2020. Fewer house shows = fewer losses. On top of this, WWE's gruelling, punishing road schedule has long been a bugbear amongst those who work for the promotion, with fatigue, wear and tear, and decreased recovery times contributing to the company's lengthy injury list.
WWE's closest competition, AEW, are yet to host a single live event outside of Dynamite and pay-per-view tapings. WWE may be wise to help diminished markets recover by not oversaturating them with several untelevised shows each year.