40 F
Indianapolis
Saturday, February 15, 2025

Fabulous Moolah: Estimating the economic impact of WWE in Indy 

NORAL PARHAM
NORAL PARHAM
Noral Parham is the multi-media & senior sports reporter for the Indianapolis Recorder, one of the oldest Black publications in the country. Parham has worked with various leagues to provide a diverse perspective in sports, including the Big Ten, Big East, IHSAA, IndyCar, MLB, NHRA, NFL, NBA, WNBA, WWE and the Olympics. Prior to joining the Recorder, Parham served as the community advocate of the MLK Center in Indianapolis and senior copywriter for an e-commerce and marketing firm in Denver.

More by this author

World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) announced plans for Indianapolis as the host city for three major pay-per-views in 2024, including the Royal Rumble at Lucas Oil Stadium. Suplexes and powerbombs aside, just how much is the Circle City expected to generate during the star-studded weekend? 

The deal, announced in the summer of 2024, is a collaboration between WWE and Indiana Sports Corp. The latter is a nonprofit organization known for hosting sporting events and positively impacting Indiana. 

Senior vice president of marketing at Indiana Sports Corp Celeste Ballou said that WWE pay-per-views like Royal Rumble can generate tens of millions. 

“I don’t have an exact figure, but previous (WWE pay-per-view) events in other markets have brought in upwards of $40 million,” Ballou said. 

WWE economic impact surrounding 2024 Royal Rumble

WWE Royal Rumble and the economic impact in Indianapolis.
(Photo provided/WWE)

That figure is appropriate as multiple reports claim the 2024 Royal Rumble, held in St. Petersburg, Florida, raked in $47 million. $29 million was spent directly in the host city. 

Combining the three pay-per-views slated to happen in Indy, researchers anticipate the city bringing in $430 million. 

Fastlane, the most recent WWE promotion held in Indianapolis, became the most-watched and highest-grossing in company history. 

WWE reported records of viewership, gate and sponsorship surrounding the promotion. The show marked the largest gate ever for any Fastlane, up more than 31% compared to the previous record set in Cleveland in 2016, becoming the highest-grossing WWE event ever held in Indianapolis. 

Local wrestling promotions like WCWO Wrestling seize the weekend and put on some of their best work for the wrestling enthusiasts in 

Former amateur wrestler and Indianapolis native Christian Boahene knows all too well how exciting Royal Rumble weekend will be. 

“WWE in Indy will have a huge effect,” Boahene told the Indianapolis Recorder. “When wrestling is in town, many local promotions know fans worldwide are in our backyard. It is the perfect time to showcase what local wrestling promotions are all about.” 

Local wrestling and community inititives during WWE Royal Rumble

WWE Royal Rumble Bayley and Bianca Bel-Air.
(Photo provided/WWE)

Boahene said big-name promotions being in Indy helped him meet (and train with) talents like Ruby Riott and Shotzi Blackheart. 

WCWO Wrestling hosts a high-energy show on Jan. 31 in downtown Indianapolis, complementing the Friday Night Smackdown show at Gainbridge Fieldhouse happening the same night. 

Another cornerstone of WWE events is philanthropy. 

2023’s WWE Fastlane, a vehicle (pun intended) proved fruitful, raising more than $550,000 for local nonprofits and community organizations in Indianapolis. 

In 2024, the WWE donated just shy of $250,000 to community organizations in St. Petersburg during the week of Royal Rumble. ARC Tampa Bay, Boys & Girls Club of St. Petersburg, Miracle by the Bay and the Pinellas Education Foundation all received at least $60,000 from the worldwide wrestling giant. 


Contact Multi-Media & Senior Sports Reporter Noral Parham III at 317-762-7846. Follow him on TikTok @3Noral. For more news, click here.

Senior Sports Writer for the Indianapolis Recorder Noral Parham III.
+ posts

Noral Parham is the multi-media & senior sports reporter for the Indianapolis Recorder, one of the oldest Black publications in the country. Parham has worked with various leagues to provide a diverse perspective in sports, including the Big Ten, Big East, IHSAA, IndyCar, MLB, NHRA, NFL, NBA, WNBA, WWE and the Olympics. Prior to joining the Recorder, Parham served as the community advocate of the MLK Center in Indianapolis and senior copywriter for an e-commerce and marketing firm in Denver.

- Advertisement -

Upcoming Online Townhalls

- Advertisement -

Subscribe to our newsletter

To be updated with all the latest local news.

Stay connected

1FansLike
1FollowersFollow
1FollowersFollow
1SubscribersSubscribe

Related articles

Popular articles

Español + Translate »
Skip to content