WWE Payback 2023 Is The Highest-Grossing In Company History
WWE have touted the success of their most recent Premium Live Event.
In a press release issued by the company, the 2023 Payback show was the highest-grossing and most-watched event since it was first introduced in 2013.
The company cites an increase of viewership by over a third compared to the previous record in 2016, the highest-ever gate for the event and nearly 50% up on the previous record of social views set in 2020.
The full statement is as follows:
STAMFORD, Conn., September 5, 2023 – WWE® (NYSE: WWE) today announced that Payback, which emanated from PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh, became the most-watched and highest-grossing Payback in company history. The premium live event set new records for viewership, gate and merchandise.
Viewership of Payback was up 36 percent versus the previous record set in 2016. With 12,468 in attendance, it marked the largest gate ever for any Payback, up 13 percent versus the prior record set in Chicago in 2016. Payback also became the highest-grossing WWE event ever held in Pittsburgh.
In addition, Payback broke the all-time event merchandise record. In partnership with special event retail partner Fanatics, merchandise sales were up 182 percent versus the previous record set in 2017.
2023 Payback was also the most-viewed social Payback of all time with a combined 146 million social views, up 44 percent from the previous record set in 2020. The most-viewed moment across social platforms was Cody Rhodes announcing Jey Uso would be joining the Monday Night Raw roster which generated more than seven million social views across all platforms in one day.
What Happened At WWE Payback?
The Premium Live Event opened with Trish Status and Becky Lynch finally bringing their rivalry to an end inside a steel cage. Even though the match was won by Lynch, the Hall of Famer received a great reaction from the Pittsburgh crowd when all was said and done.
In the next match, special guest host John Cena would do more than simply announce the proceedings for the evening. Wanting to be involved in the action, Cena appointed himself the special guest referee for the next match between LA Knight and The Miz. Cena would call the match right down the middle and credited Knight after The Megastar was victorious.
The main event of the show would see Seth Rollins successfully retain the World Heavyweight Championship against Shinsuke Nakamura in what was Nakamura’s first-ever main event match on a Premium Live Event. The drama would include after the show went off the air as Nakamura would attack Rollins once again.