Insight On How WWE Chooses Premium Live Event Locations
Following a WWE Backlash event with a very vocal crowd, some insight has been provided on how cities are chosen for major events.
The 2023 edition of WWE Backlash will be remembered for some great matches like Bianca Belair beating IYO SKY, Bad Bunny looking very impressive against Damian Priest and Cody Rhodes getting a big win over Brock Lesnar. However, there will also be some people that remember the crowd more than anything.
That’s because the crowd at Backlash (and Smackdown on Friday) in San Juan, Puerto Rico was incredible. They cheered, they booed, they sang and they made a lot of noise, which only helps a Premium Live Event like Backlash.
A lot of fans have commented on social media about how WWE needs to make Puerto Rico a regular stop for major events every year. It was their first PLE (or pay-per-view) since New Year’s Revolution in 2005, so fans don’t want WWE to wait 18 years to go back to the island again.
It was reported over a month ago by Fightful Select that WWE was paid about $1.5 million by the Puerto Rico Convention Center District Authority (PRCDA) and the Puerto Rico Tourism Company to bring Backlash there. Obviously, that is something WWE likes and will probably lead to other markets paying for World Wrestling Entertainment to bring shows there.
On Wrestling Observer Radio, Dave Meltzer talked about the Puerto Rican tourism board paying WWE to bring Backlash to Puerto Rico.
“They’re only going to come if they get paid to come. So, that’s up to how much the tourism board wants to pay. And usually, when it comes to this type of thing, everything is different. Generally speaking, if they want to bring you in, if the tourism board brings you in, they’re not going to bring you in every year.”
“They’re going to use their money to bring in another act…they’re going to use their money on another act next year, it won’t always be WWE. For them to do a pay-per-view generally, and London is the exception, because when they go to London they’re not getting paid by a tourism board, they just feel like it’s time to do it.”
As he continued, Meltzer mentioned that World Wrestling Entertainment is going to want to get paid to go to certain international markets.
“But for them to come and do this, they’re going to have to be paid. They will go down there and do a house show, but for them to do a pay-per-view, they’re going to want a million and half dollars or whatever. That was what the rate was here. They got paid a million and half dollars by the tourism board to come in.”
The next two WWE PLE’s are international shows with Night of Champions in Saudi Arabia on May 27th with WWE getting paid about $50 million per Saudi. After that, it’s Money in the Bank on July 1st for Money in the Bank in London, England and as Meltzer alluded to above, WWE just feels like it’s time to do a PLE there.