If you’re wondering why WWE is happy to keep going back to Saudi Arabia every six months, here’s why.
Last weekend’s Crown Jewel was the tenth WWE event in Saudi Arabia part of what is believed to be a decade-long deal. Barring a brief break forced upon them by the pandemic, WWE has held two events in Saudi Arabia every year since 2019.
That comes with a lot of controversy due to the human rights issues in the country and the way women are treated there, but this week, a reminder of how much WWE makes from the shows demonstrated why they won’t be coming to an end anytime soon.
One Crown Jewel = Three WrestleManias
Brandon Thurston of Wrestlenomics provided an update on exactly how much WWE gets every time it stages a show in Saudi Arabia, comparing it to WrestleMania to demonstrate just how important Saudi shows are financially. “The Saudi government will pay WWE $50M+ for today’s #WWECrownJewel, the price for each event that’s part of their 10-year deal,” Thurston posted on social media.
“$50M is equivalent to about 3 Wrestlemanias-worth of ticket sales,” he added, which really hammers home why WWE turns a blind eye to everything else going on in Saudi Arabia. To hold an event twice a year that guarantees the company $50 million every time they go, regardless of how many tickets are sold or who’s on the card, is unfortunately a no-brainer to those who have to make the call on whether they go to Saudi Arabia or not.
The Trips Will Continue
While I can’t imagine WWE is trying to do this, it might also be difficult to get out of its deal with the Saudi Sports Authority even if it wanted to. Barring a massive fee and potentially even legal action for a breach of contract, the next out won’t be until at least 2029. My guess is some time has been tacked onto the end of that as the pandemic resulted in two Saudi shows not going ahead since there was a strict limitation on travel of any kind.
WWE isn’t the only sporting entity guilty of giving in to the money being offered by Saudi Arabia and ignoring the other issues going on there. Tyson Fury’s match against Francis Ngannou was staged in front of an all-star crowd in Saudi Arabia, and there has been an influx of top football players heading to the country as its government tries to boost its league. I’d prefer WWE didn’t go to Saudi Arabia for massive shows twice a year, but I know there’s very little anyone can do or say that’s going to stop them.