The whopping amount Saudi Arabia paid to WWE for Crown Jewel 2023 REVEALED 

WWE is reportedly paid a humongous amount by Saudi Arabia for each premium live event conducted in the country.

The whopping amount Saudi Arabia paid to WWE for Crown Jewel 2023 REVEALED 

WWE Crown Jewel in Saudi Arabia (via WrestleTalk)

The 2023 WWE Crown Jewel successfully took place this past weekend. The show featured a star-studded match card and some mind-boggling moments. Moreover, it’s no surprise that WWE makes a ton of money by holding PLEs in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. A recent post on social media discloses the actual amount WWE earns in the Arab nation.

Brandon Thurston of wrestlenomics took to his X and confirmed that the Stamford-based company allegedly paid a whopping 50 million dollars annually by the Saudi government for each event held in the country. Thurston further highlighted that the amount WWE currently earns off of one Saudi event is equivalent to the total collection of three WrestleMania(s).

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The largest ever gate for a pro wrestling event was in 2016 for WrestleMania 32, grossing over $17.3 million, which is far less than Saudi event earnings. The company returned to the Arab nation for WWE Night of Champions and Crown Jewel this year, raking in over a thumping $100 million.

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The Saudi government will pay WWE $50M+ for today's #WWECrownJewel, the price for each event that's part of their 10-year deal. $50M is equivalent to about 3 WrestleManias-worth of ticket sales.
Brandon Thurston on X

WWE and the Saudi government agreed to a ten-year deal in 2018. According to the deal between the two parties, the company will hold two premium live events in the country every year, from 2018 to 2027. The negotiated deal could be extended based on the events missed during the pandemic. All in all, the reason the company gives the highest priority to the Saudi-based premium live event makes complete sense now.

WWE and its controversial affiliation with the Saudi Arabia Government

The Stamford-based promotion has been holding two annual premium live events in Saudi Arabia for over five consecutive years. WWE and the Saudi government announced their infamous ten-year deal in 2018. However, the company met with immense criticism from its larger audience base when the deal was first publicly promulgated.

Vince McMahon and Triple H
Vince McMahon and Triple H (via Wrestle Talk)

WWE risked the wrath of the public when they agreed to the aforementioned deal with Saudi Arabia. It shouldn’t come as a surprise to anyone that the Arab nation has often faced criticism for their politics.

Moreover, there was no women’s match on the inaugural Saudi event card. As a result, the general audience lambasted the company for its immoral allegiance to the government. A year later, WWE announced that the first-ever women’s match, Natalya vs. Lacey Evans, would take place at the 2019 Crown Jewel event. Since then, the company has been holding women’s matches yearly.

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