Royal Rumble Delivers Strong Buyrate

[EdwardKnoxII 0]

Royal Rumble Delivers Strong Buyrate

 

Good news for WWE going into WMXX....

 

The Royal Rumble brought in about 485,000 buys or a .90 buyrate which comes in above WWE's projected 475,000 buys for the show. The number is below 2003's Royal Rumble which did 515,000 buys. Of course, after the final tally is in, the 2004 Rumble should finish at roughly the same level as the 2003 Rumble.

 

The positive Rumble buyrate seems to indicate good interest in WrestleMania XX which WWE is somewhat paranoid about right now. Many are pointing out that WMXX does not have the killer main event that it may need to not only live up to the hype, but also to pull in a lot of buys at a high $49.95 price.

 

Credit: Wrestling Observer Newsletter

[Michrome 0]

That makes it what, the second lowest buyrate since the Royal Rumble has been on PPV? Good news!

[Guest Man Of 1,004 Modes]

So last years Rumble was the lowest incase this years # increases, which usually is what happens when getting the final buyrate.

[EdwardKnoxII 0]

WWE January 2003 And 2004 Business Comparisons

Posted By Ashish on 02.18.04

 

How did WWE do compared to last year?

 

Avg. Attendance Jan. 03 - 4,909

Avg. Attendance Jan. 04 - 3,577 (27% decline)

 

Avg. Gate Jan. 03 - $190,055

Avg. Gate Jan. 04 - $123,141 (35% decline)

 

% of House Shows Sold Out Jan. 03 - 8.7%

% of House Shows Sold Out Jan. 04 - 0.0%

 

Avg. RAW Rating Jan. 03 - 3.85

Avg. RAW Rating Jan. 04 - 3.66 (5% decline)

 

Avg. SD! Rating Jan. 03 - 3.38

Avg. SD! Rating Jan. 04 - 3.40 (.6% increase)

 

Royal Rumble 03 Buyrate - .99

Royal Rumble 04 Buyrate - .90

 

Credit: Wrestling Observer Newsletter

[Use Your Illusion 0]

If WMXX cracks 1.0, I'll be surprised.

 

UYI

[Michrome 0]

I think it will probably do upwards of 1.2-1.5, but seeing as it's 50 bucks a pop....1.5 = $30,000,000

[Guest I Got Banned for Sucking]

No matter what the fucking price, it's WrestleMania, WrestleMania XX, no less.

 

Some interesting statistics and opening post there...

[Guest Choken One]

$49.99?

 

I understand it’s a major event and everything but this will just drive everyone to the bars or one mass grouping, $39.99 was a GREAT price.

[Guest Salacious Crumb]

Sub 1.0 is terrible for the Royal Rumble and they've screwed themselves for Mania with a $49.99 price tag. I thought about ordering it with some of my friends but that's a lot of money even with 5 or 6 people.

[Guest hhheld_down]

i spent 100 bucks for all 3 (RR,NWO,WMXX) and thus far I am not that disappointed in my decision to spend all that money, WMXX better be damn good though but even if it's the best WM ever (doubtful, X-7 will still rule) I think it will be considered a disappointment buyrate wise cause the WWE is just now a little interesting after almost a year of total crap.

[Guest Loss]

If Bret's return is announced in advance and people get into both title feuds and Goldberg/Brock, if they hype up Rock's return (almost a little late to do that right) and if Undertaker actually shows his face on TV prior to Wrestlemania, the buyrate will probably do well. Those are all big ifs though.

[Guest Man Of 1,004 Modes]

If Bret's return is announced in advance and people get into both title feuds and Goldberg/Brock, if they hype up Rock's return (almost a little late to do that right) and if Undertaker actually shows his face on TV prior to Wrestlemania, the buyrate will probably do well. Those are all big ifs though.

I actually think the WWE not having Undertaker show up on T.V. until the PPV (or the very least 1 appearence to at least draw more interest) is good because it would make Undertaker marks to want to see him as the dead man kicking Kane's ass.

[Guest Loss]

They have left themselves with too much to do in the final weeks though. When are Christian and Jericho going to officially become enemies? When is Rock coming back? When will the 'Taker/Kane match be made official and will he make an appearance before then? When will the ladder match stip be added to the RAW title match? Those are all major storyline developments, which makes me think we may get some cluttered TV between now and then.

 

This would also carry over to Smackdown if TWGTT reunites with Angle and Brock/Goldberg still needs to be made official.

[Enigma 0]

You know what this means, right?

 

BOB HOLLY CAN DRAW!!!!!!!!!

[Damaramu 0]

You know what this means, right?

 

BOB HOLLY CAN DRAW!!!!!!!!!

Hahahahaha.......no.

[Guest Choken One]

HHH (Looks at Numbers)

 

HBK: nice

 

HHH: See dad, Told ya we could draw...

 

McMahon: Didn't that Rumble have a factor in it?

 

HBK: What rumble?

 

HHH: Exactly, The PPV ended after our five star classic.

 

McMahon: Then why did I hear a LOUD cheering about 60 minutes later?

 

HBK: They must have re-aired my Iron Man Match...THOSE GUYS!

 

McMahon: Well, of course.

[Kaertos 0]

To be fair, a lot of those numbers that declined severely have direct "pocketbook" impact. That is, they are relatively expensive out-of-pocket luxury items for the average wrestling fan. The economy, while showing signs here and there of a recovery, is still bad from the bottom up. And since most of WWE's fanbase hang in the middle class, they haven't seen the recovery yet.

 

I know I skipped a WWE show this year because I just didn't have the cash to go and I haven't missed a Pay-Per-View since Judgement Day 2000.

[snuffbox 0]

I haven't missed a Pay-Per-View since Judgement Day 2000.

Im sorry.

[Guest Your Olympic Hero]

You know what this means, right?

 

BOB HOLLY CAN DRAW!!!!!!!!!

Actually I think the fans tuned in to see Batista in that tag title table match.

[Guest Korgath]

Without a doubt, that was one of the best Rumbles in recent memory, with really tight booking and a classic finish. It's only justified that the buyrate is high despite the flagging economy.

 

P.S. Choken One, that was pure brilliance.

[Kaertos 0]

I haven't missed a Pay-Per-View since Judgement Day 2000.

Im sorry.

Why? Oh... that's right. I forgot I'm on the WWE board where everyone watches, nobody likes anything and if they do they won't admit it for fear of being labelled a "mark".

 

Well label me what you'd like then. I like the WWE. I think that while they had some issues during the Invasion era, they have turned things around and have put on a great run of both PPV's and regular television. And while I'll admit to thinking Booker T should have gone over at WMXIX, and I think this year I would prefer HHH v. Benoit as a singles match (where I think Benoit should go over), I will cop to liking many of the things that are generally regarded as "crap" here. The rain and lightning effects for Taker. Awesome. The Jericho / Trish / Christian storyline? Cool. The Big Show? Smackdown MVP of 2003. Triple H? Will be remembered as one of the greatest ever.

 

I'd joke about having to turn in my Smarks Club Card, but I never had one really.

[pochorenella 0]

You tell them, Grand Slam.

 

I own alll the shows, either on tape or DVD, since RR1999, and a ton from before that, and am not sorry I do.

[Michrome 0]

Oh god, nothing more annoying than the anti-smark AA meetings moved onto message board posts. I swear I'm not a smark, I really enjoy it guys! It makes me a real fan to appreciate bad wrestling!

 

Other than No Way Out 2001 and WM X-7, WWE hasn't put on a better PPV than J-Day 2000 since it happened.

[Corey_Lazarus 0]

Other than No Way Out 2001 and WM X-7, WWE hasn't put on a better PPV than J-Day 2000 since it happened.

**mentions something about Vengeance '03 having two **** matches, two ***+ matches, and a fun undercard**

[AndrewTS 0]

Rumble should deliver a strong buyrate, so this doesn't mean that much.

However, I seem to recall that WMXIX was a big disappointment.

[Guest Loss]

Rumble should deliver a strong buyrate, so this doesn't mean that much.

However, I seem to recall that WMXIX was a big disappointment.

It was, but I'm not sure what that has to do with this year's Royal Rumble.

[Kaertos 0]

I didn't say that. And by the same token, it doesn't make you a real fan to dislike the WWE.

 

Here's the thing, I'm not "anti-smark". Really. And I'll be honest, when I first got back into wrestling and started reading about it on the INet, I agreed with most things that were said. But as the past few years have gone by, everything has become very, very negative, extremely critical and, frankly, a little mean for my tastes.

 

You say there hasn't been a good PPV (other than WM X7 and NWO '01) since Judgement Day 2000? That I have to disagree with. Off the top of my head?

 

- SummerSlam 2000 (TLC I, HHH / Rock / Angle, Benoit v. Jericho)

- Royal Rumble 2001 (Benoit v. Jericho Ladder Match, Angle v. HHH, Kane rules the Rumble)

- Judgement Day 2001 (Angle / Benoit 2/3 falls, Kane v. HHH chain match, Jericho & Benoit win Tag Team Tumoil)

- Vengeance 2001 (Jericho wins Undisputed Title)

 

And that's just off the top of my head. SummerSlam and Survivor Series were both good the last two years. WMXIX was a good show. I have no regrets having boughts all of those Pay-Per-Views.

[RavishingRickRudo 0]

**mentions something about Vengeance '03 having two **** matches, two ***+ matches, and a fun undercard**

 

... wha? The tag match I can see, MAYBE, giving ****, and Cena/Taker ***+ (shit, I'm overrating that), but aside from that it was a pretty shitty show. Benoit/Guerrero was _horrible_. Angle/Show/Lesnar wasn't all that good (you might get away with *** but not +), and the "fun" undercard featured Steph vs. Sable and Vince vs. Gowen (oooh he bled!).

 

Here's the thing, I'm not "anti-smark".

 

"Why? Oh... that's right. I forgot I'm on the WWE board where everyone watches, nobody likes anything and if they do they won't admit it for fear of being labelled a "mark"."

 

"I'd joke about having to turn in my Smarks Club Card, but I never had one really"

 

You're blaming _the fans_ for disliking the product, rather than the product itself. Now, if the product was actually _good_ and wasn't full of plot holes are non sensical storylines and featured good matches, you'd have a point. I have no problem with you liking the product - I don't think anyone here does-, but for condemning others for not while giving this condescending rant sure seems anti-smarkish to me. Gimmie a break.

[Kaertos 0]

Here's the thing, I'm not "anti-smark".

 

"Why? Oh... that's right. I forgot I'm on the WWE board where everyone watches, nobody likes anything and if they do they won't admit it for fear of being labelled a "mark"."

 

"I'd joke about having to turn in my Smarks Club Card, but I never had one really"

 

You're blaming _the fans_ for disliking the product, rather than the product itself. Now, if the product was actually _good_ and wasn't full of plot holes are non sensical storylines and featured good matches, you'd have a point. I have no problem with you liking the product - I don't think anyone here does-, but for condemning others for not while giving this condescending rant sure seems anti-smarkish to me. Gimmie a break.

 

In this case, I am blaming the fans, or rather, the "smarks", for not liking things which are not, in and of themselves, bad. When has the WWE, or wrestling in general for that matter, ever given anyone the idea that it is continuity based, linear storytelling? If it were, then nobody would ever form tag teams since at some point, most of them have fought before. The proper way to look at it, at least from where I stand, is selective continuity. This month, for example, it might be useful to bring up the fact that Jericho and Kane have had issues in the past. Then again, how relevant is that to now?

 

As far as good matches, I see at least one or two good matches a week on WWE television. I think that the "smarks", to continue making a sweeping generalization, have set their standards too high. You can't have a show filled with ****+ matches twice a week. Doesn't work that way. Heck, I was watching back in the long-gone days where a three hour show was filled with matches where stars beat jobbers. If you were lucky, you got to see two mid-carders go at it late in the show. I consider the current situation to be far superior.

 

And if it came off that I was condemning people for not liking the product, then I apologize. I can understand many of the reasons people dislike what is going on now. I was, however, referring to the glut of "smarks" that seem to be looking for a reason to complain about the shows. Most of what I read here is not what I would call constructive criticism. Most of it sounds like very critical and bitter people complaining treating their opinion as hard fact. It is the nastiness and mean-spiritedness of it all that both frustrates me and makes me want to defend the show I enjoy.

 

And when I said I wasn't "Anti-Smark", I didn't mean that you should not express your opinion. This is a free country, and a free forum. As long as you follow the posting guidlines, say whatever you want. I just disagree with, well, nearly everyone here apparently.

 

Oh well, so be it. As a wise friend of mine once said, "No one has ever changed anyone's mind on this board, and it won't start now." Perhaps I am guilty of trying too hard to get my point across.

[RavishingRickRudo 0]

In this case, I am blaming the fans, or rather, the "smarks", for not liking things which are not, in and of themselves, bad. When has the WWE, or wrestling in general for that matter, ever given anyone the idea that it is continuity based, linear storytelling?

 

I'm sorry, I don't normally do this, but I have absolutely no reason to read whatever you wrote below after reading this. I am just shocked. Absolutely shocked. Not surprised. But shocked.