WWE announced an attendance of 48,044 for the 2024 Royal Rumble pay-per-view event at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, FL.
The Wrestling Observer Newsletter is reporting that this year’s event was a legitimate sellout.
WrestleTix previously reported the attendance as 46,082, which means WWE’s announced figure was fairly close to that.
The WON suggests inflating figures may have been a Vince McMahon decision and possibly a thing of the past.
The venue’s capacity is listed as 42,735, but WWE had a minimal stage setup.
It’s unknown what the paid attendance is, and while no live gate was provided, it is estimated to be the 11th largest gate in wrestling history.
This would put WWE Royal Rumble 2024 behind nine WrestleMania pay-per-view events and AEW All In 2023.
Traditional PPV buys were down from last year’s event, although that is to be expected with more people signing up for Peacock.
WWE Royal Rumble 2024 had around 15,500 PPV buys, down 14.4% from last year, but up 84.5% from Survivor Series 2023 (8,400) for the same number of days out.
The final Survivor Series figure was 11,700.
Of those who bought WWE Royal Rumble 2024, only 31.8% bought Survivor Series 2023, 8.1% bought AEW Worlds End 2023 and 4.6% bought TNA Hard To Kill 2024.
The 2024 Royal Rumble pay-per-view event, held at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, FL, was a huge success for WWE. With an attendance of 48,044, WWE announced that the event was a sellout, according to The Wrestling Observer Newsletter.
Initially, WrestleTix reported the attendance as 46,082, which was fairly close to WWE’s announced figure. This suggests that the company may have refrained from inflating attendance figures, a practice that has been associated with WWE in the past. The WON speculates that this change may be a result of a decision made by Vince McMahon, the CEO of WWE.
Although the venue’s capacity is listed as 42,735, WWE had a minimal stage setup for the event. This means that the actual paid attendance is unknown. However, it is estimated that the event’s live gate would rank as the 11th largest in wrestling history.
In terms of traditional pay-per-view buys, WWE Royal Rumble 2024 saw a decrease compared to the previous year’s event. This decline can be attributed to the increasing number of people signing up for Peacock, a streaming service that offers WWE content. Approximately 15,500 PPV buys were recorded for the event, marking a 14.4% decrease from the previous year. However, it is worth noting that this number represents an 84.5% increase compared to Survivor Series 2023, which had 8,400 PPV buys for the same number of days out. The final PPV buy figure for Survivor Series 2023 was 11,700.
Interestingly, data shows that only a small percentage of those who purchased WWE Royal Rumble 2024 also bought other wrestling events. Only 31.8% of buyers had also purchased Survivor Series 2023, while 8.1% had bought AEW Worlds End 2023, and 4.6% had purchased TNA Hard To Kill 2024.
Overall, the 2024 Royal Rumble was a successful event for WWE. The sellout crowd and impressive live gate position it as one of the largest events in wrestling history. While traditional PPV buys may have decreased, the rise of streaming services like Peacock has contributed to the changing landscape of how fans consume wrestling content.