WWE's premium live events are literally 'money in the bank.'

The wrestling world is still buzzing about Survivor Series, which featured the returns of Randy Orton and CM Punk.

We knew the show did big business at the box office and unprescedented viewership on Peacock, but now we've got some more tangible data to back that up. On Tuesday, WWE sent in word that Survivor Series 2023 was the most successful outing in the show's 37-year history.

Survivor Series set records for viewership, live gate and merchandise. Viewership was up a staggering 44%, the latest indication that WWE is finally giving fans exactly what they're looking for.

Brandon Thurston of Wrestlenomics points out that WWE’s record viewership performance is helped in part due to Peacock subs rising.



Here's the official press release:

WWE BREAKS ALL-TIME SURVIVOR SERIES RECORDS FOR VIEWERSHIP, GATE & MERCHANDISE SALES

STAMFORD, Conn., November 28, 2023 – WWE®, part of TKO Group Holdings (NYSE: TKO), today announced that Survivor Series, which emanated from Allstate Arena in Chicago, set new records for the highest viewership, largest gate and best merchandise sales in the event’s 37-year history.

Viewership for Survivor Series was up 44 percent versus the previous record set in 2022. With 17,138 in attendance, the event broke the previous Survivor Series gate record set in Brooklyn in 2021.

In partnership with Fanatics, Survivor Series broke the premium live event’s all-time merchandise record. Sponsorship revenue was up 24 percent versus 2022.

In addition, the surprise return of CM Punk after nearly a decade away from WWE further drove massive digital engagement. Punk’s comeback moment has more than 71 million views across all platforms, making it the most social post in company history.


WWE Survivor Series 2023 also featured the return of multiple time world champion, Randy Orton. Orton participated in the men's War Games match and helped lead his team to victory after a vicious RKO on JD McDonagh from the top of the War Games cage.