WWE Incorporating New Philosophy for Live Events

Last year saw the integration of WWE and UFC into the TKO umbrella and this led to significant changes. One of the biggest was the merger of WWE and UFC live event operations and it appears WWE is now incorporating a new philosophy for live events.

According to Dave Meltzer in the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, there has been a significant shift in WWE’s approach to purchasing television ad time. Traditionally, WWE would buy ads through local cable companies on Raw, SmackDown, and occasionally NXT to promote house shows.

For instance, in the New York market, they would advertise the MSG holiday show on Raw and SmackDown. However, over the past six weeks, this advertising strategy has ceased, with no ads for the 6/28 SmackDown at Madison Square Garden.

The new philosophy, not limited to the New York market, is to discontinue purchasing television ads for the foreseeable future. This change predates the recent merging of the UFC and WWE live event departments. Instead, WWE is ramping up email communication to promote upcoming shows, which is a more cost-effective approach. The decision is influenced by factors such as anticipated sell-out events not warranting television advertising and potential adjustments based on business performance.

We will have to wait and see how all this ends up benefitting WWE in the end as they are far more business-oriented more than anything else right now.

Are you surprised by WWE’s decision to cut back on advertising for live events? Let us know in the comments section below!