The PPV numbers for the quarter are in, and the numbers are down. While there was one less PPV in the quarter, as opposed to last year, the 2013 WrestleMania, Extreme Rules and Payback/No Way Out all did less buys than their 2012 versions. Overall the company was down 346,000 buys. Even if you factor in the 167,000 buys that the 2012 Over the Limit PPV did, the numbers are still down. Here is the breakdown from the official release that was sent out today…
Pay-Per-View revenues were $37.1 million as compared to $40.8 million in the prior year quarter, representing a $3.7 million decline primarily attributable to the timing of one less pay-per-view event in the quarter. The Over The Limit pay-per-view event is scheduled for the fourth quarter of 2013 versus the second quarter 2012. Revenue from the three events in the quarter declined 3% versus the prior year quarter as a combined 13% decline in buys was nearly offset by a 12% increase in the average revenue per buy. The shortfall in revenue from these events, however, was offset by an increase in buys for prior period events. The rise in revenue per buy was due to an approximate 9% increase in the domestic retail price charged for viewing WrestleMania and to a higher proportion of buys to view the Company’s events in high definition, which generally garners a higher retail price.
