WWE Bad Blood 2024 Brought Impressive Increase In Traditional Pay-Per-View Buys

WWE Bad Blood 2024 took place on October 5 at the State Farm Arena in Atlanta, Georgia, marking the fourth event in the Bad Blood series and celebrating the 27th anniversary of the first Bad Blood in 1997. Fans were excited about the show, and a few of them took the traditional route to watch the premium live event.

In a time when most WWE fans opt for streaming services like Peacock, traditional pay-per-view still saw some numbers for Bad Blood 2024. The Wrestling Observer Newsletter reported that the event garnered 12,400 traditional pay-per-view buys.

This year’s Bad Blood saw a 47.2% increase in pay-per-view buys compared to Bash in Berlin, making it the highest-selling ‘B’ WWE event of 2024. To be fair, Bash in Berlin went down during the afternoon in North America, whereas Bad Blood 2024 had a special start time of 6:00 PM EST.

Interestingly, 73.5% of the viewers who purchased Bad Blood had not bought Bash in Berlin, indicating a unique draw for this event. Moreover, only 6.9% of the Bad Blood buyers also purchased AEW’s WrestleDream 2024, highlighting a clear distinction in the fan bases.

One source reportedly emphasized the impact of these stars, stating, “Cody is a workhorse champion who makes people happy they’ve engaged the product. Punk is the legit attraction he always wanted to be. The Bloodline business is booming.” With such strong performances and increased pay-per-view numbers, Bad Blood 2024 proved to be a success for WWE.

While streaming dominates viewership, rural areas still contribute to the remaining traditional pay-per-view audience, and this event’s numbers reflect that ongoing trend. While Peacock is around $10 a month, traditional pay-per-view services still charge about $45 for those events.

The main event, with top stars like Roman Reigns, Cody Rhodes, Solo Sikoa, and Jacob Fatu, played a significant role in attracting viewers. CM Punk has become a major draw in WWE, and he battled Drew McIntyre in an intense match where they bled buckets in a Hell in a Cell match that kicked off the event. This helped make Bad Blood 2024 a standout show.

The night’s main event saw Roman Reigns and Cody Rhodes team up to battle Solo Sikoa and Jacob Fatu, with The Rock making a surprise return to continue his “Final Boss” storyline. Wendy’s sponsorship was prominently featured, with “Saucy Nuggs” banners displayed throughout the arena. This was certainly an event that fans won’t soon forget, however they watched the premium live event go down.