For nearly four decades, the WWE has made a habit of smashing records with their annual event, WrestleMania. The company’s 2022 show, which took place last weekend in Dallas, Texas at AT&T Stadium was no exception. The action packed, highly entertaining two-night spectacular drew a total of 156,352 fans from all 50 states and 53 countries.
But as impressive as the WWE’s record breaking attendance and revenue numbers were, there was another story worth sharing. Vince McMahon’s company beat the NFL’s Super Bowl on social media in four key categories: impressions, engagements, video views, and video watch time according to Conviva. WWE set social media records by producing the highest total of Video Views, Hours and Impressions for any event in company history.
Here are the numbers that stood out:
- Impressions: WWE: 2.2 Billion Impressions vs. Super Bowl: 1.8 Billion Impressions
- Video Views: WWE: 1.1 Billion Video Views vs. Super Bowl: 618 Million Video Views
- Video Watch Time: WWE: 13.1 Million Hours compared vs. Super Bowl 3.56 Million Hours
- Engagements: WWE: 87 Million Engagements vs. Super Bowl: 78 Million Engagements
WWE generated a record 1.1 Billion views across Facebook, Instagram, Snap, TikTok, Twitter, which resulted in a massive 47% increase from WrestleMania 37. The company also recorded 785 Million Minutes/13 Million Hours of video consumed on social, up 29% from last year, and a record 2.2 Billion Impressions, which was 10% better than their 2021 show.
Other notable figures which stood out included the two highest engagement posts in event history. Cody Rhodes’ return to the WWE, and Pat McAfee’s match with Austin Theory, which led to follow up in-ring action with Mr. McMahon and Stone Cold Steve Austin were huge social media hits. Cody’s return produced a whopping 500,000 engagements. The McAfee-Theory match delivered more than 450,000 engagements.
Some will point out that WWE’s event is a two-night affair whereas the Super Bowl takes place on one night. The length of the show is also a factor with the WWE holding a 3 to 1 advantage in terms of air time. Regardless, WWE’s social media impact can’t be denied. Those are insane numbers for engagement and viewing, and to keep fans interested for two-nights from start to finish is no easy task. Judging by the numbers, Vince McMahon’s company hit a homerun.
Jason Barrett is the President and Founder of Barrett Media since the company was created in September 2015. Prior to its arrival, JB served as a sports radio programmer, launching brands such as 95.7 The Game in San Francisco, and 101 ESPN in St. Louis. He also spent time programming SportsTalk 950 in Philadelphia, 590 The Fan KFNS in St. Louis, and ESPN 1340/1390 in Poughkeepsie, NY. Jason also worked on-air and behind the scenes in local radio at 101.5 WPDH, WTBQ 1110AM, and WPYX 106.5. He also spent two years on the national stage, producing radio shows for ESPN Radio in Bristol, CT. Among them included the Dan Patrick Show, and GameNight.
You can find JB on Twitter @SportsRadioPD. He’s also reachable by email at Jason@BarrettMedia.com.
