WWE PPV Buyrate Hits New Low With Stomping Grounds
The numbers are in, and it doesn't make good reading for Vinny Mac and Co.
The Stomping Grounds numbers are in, and it is far from good news for WWE.
If you’ve been paying attention, you’ll have already seen the shocking images (such as the one above) from this past Sunday’s PPV; entire sections completely tarped off. When taking into account that the Tacoma Dome venue which housed the show can hold up to 18,000 for a wrestling show, the attendance figure of approximately 6,000 was a major gut punch for WWE. Still, it was hoped that the event may fare better when it comes to pay-per-view numbers.
As reported by Dave Meltzer on Wrestling Observer Radio, Stomping Grounds only managed to bring in 9,800 PPV buys in the US. This alarming number gives Stomping Grounds the prestigious honour of being the lowest bought PPV in the current era. Adding further panic to WWE, the previous record low for pay-per-view buys was this month’s Super ShowDown event that emanated from Saudi Arabia.
To put some perspective on this, an average WWE PPV is expected to bring in around 16,000 buys in this day and age; only 10% of viewers purchasing WWE events through the traditional PPV method, whilst the majority of fans subscribe to the WWE Network.
Worryingly, of those 6,000 people who attended Stomping Grounds, only 4,500 were paying customers. Despite offering free tickets and 2-for-1 deals, the company could still only pull in 6,000 people to watch what, to be fair, was actually a solid show from an in-ring standpoint.