Jim Ross, a prominent figure in the world of wrestling commentary, has built his career on observing and commentating matches. However, he shares his concerns that some pay-per-view sporting events are overly lengthy.
In a recent episode of his podcast, “Grilling JR,” Ross was probed on his thoughts about the ideal duration of a pay-per-view event. He expressed,
“I am of the opinion that a pay-per-view should not stretch beyond three hours. That’s ample time. If your agenda can’t be wrapped up in three hours, there’s a need for reevaluation. My personal view is that those four and five-hour pay-per-views can be overwhelming, to put it mildly.
“Priority should be given to your audience, and I believe that when you exceed the three-hour mark, it’s a risky move. It’s questionable whether it’s wise to gamble with an audience’s attention span. Regardless of our viewpoint, the crux of the event is always at the end. It’s known as the main event, and I think that’s something of high importance. You have to ensure the audience is catered for.”
Ross has discussed the duration of pay-per-view events previously. For instance, in 2022, he shared his concerns about an almost five-hour-long run-time at that year’s Forbidden Door event.
The longest single-night pay-per-view in a leading company’s history is WWE WrestleMania 35, with a run-time of five hours and 20 minutes.