Steve Carrier on May 8, 2023
WWE’s recent Premium Live Event Backlash broke multiple company records in terms of viewership, attendance, and merchandise sales.
The event, which took place at the Coliseo de Puerto Rico José Miguel Agrelot in San Juan, Puerto Rico, was the highest-grossing and most-viewed Backlash in WWE’s history, according to a press release from the company. Viewership for Backlash saw a 28% increase compared to the previous record set in 2022.
The event also marked the largest gate ever for any WWE event held in Puerto Rico and the largest gate in the history of Backlash. More than 34,800 fans attended back-to-back sellout nights of SmackDown (16,896 attendees) and Backlash (17,944 attendees) in San Juan.
The event was headlined by a San Juan Street Fight between Bad Bunny and Damian Priest, which garnered over 40 million views and made Backlash the most social media-engaged Backlash of all time. The hashtag #WWEBacklash, accompanied by a custom Bad Bunny emoji, trended No. 1 across the entire evening of sports.
Backlash also broke merchandise and sponsorship records, with top-selling items including the WWE Backlash and LWO Puerto Rico t-shirts. The event was the first-ever WWE event under the expanded partnership with Fanatics, which oversaw the on-site event retail experience.
Sponsorship revenue for Backlash surpassed any previous Backlash event, with a 98% year-on-year increase through partnerships with Netflix’s FUBAR, Mike’s Harder Lemonade, and Xfinity. WWE has not disclosed the total amount of revenue generated by Backlash.
The success of Backlash in Puerto Rico comes at a time when WWE is seeking to expand its global reach, with a particular focus on Latin America. WWE has been hosting more events in Latin America in recent years. The company has also signed several Latin American wrestlers, including Andrade and Humberto Carrillo, to its roster.
What do you think contributed to the success of WWE’s recent Premium Live Event Backlash in Puerto Rico? Leave a comment.
May 8, 2023 10:20 am
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