The 2023 WWE Royal Rumble — one of the marquee events on the company’s calendar — set a viewership record over the weekend.
According to a release from WWE, the Royal Rumble saw a 52% increase in viewership over the previous record, which was set in 2022. A cumulative figure wasn’t released, but the event was streamed on Peacock, which recently announced it had garnered more than 20 million subscribers.
In addition to setting viewership records, the event also became WWE’s highest-grossing ticketed event, bringing in more than $7.7 million in ticket sales, smashing a record set in 2017.
Also, merchandise and sponsorship records were reached. A 135% increase in merchandise sales was seen at the event held at the Alamodome in San Antonio.
Sponsorship for the event was up a reported 200%, with new features like the countdown clock being sponsored by Applebee’s, and the first-ever sponsored match which saw superstar Bray Wyatt defeat LA Knight in the Mountain Dew Pitch Black Match.
WWE’s social media platforms also experienced highs after the event. A clip featuring superstars Roman Reigns and Sami Zayn saw more than 20 million views, becoming the most-watched WWE clip of the year. An appearance by Logan Paul in the Royal Rumble match also saw more than 26.5 million views across WWE’s and Paul’s platforms.
