WWE is getting paid some truly serious money to bring WrestleMania to Saudi Arabia. According to veteran wrestling journalist Dave Meltzer, the company is set to collect a whopping $150 million for the event — nearly three times its usual Saudi payday.
The staggering figure was revealed during the October 18 edition of Wrestling Observer Radio, where Meltzer said fresh financial information pointed to a price tag far bigger than anyone had previously reported.
WrestleMania graphic (Credits: Ringside News)
From $55 million to $150 million
Meltzer explained that sources in Saudi Arabia had previously told him the WrestleMania deal would cost “north of $100 million.” But new information he saw that morning told an even bigger story.
“So I saw one of the stock things. Okay, so it looks like, you know, we didn’t know this,” Meltzer said. “I actually just found this out, like this morning. It looks like the WrestleMania price is 150 million. I knew it was over 100 because people in Saudi Arabia told me it’s north of 100 million. You usually. They get 55 to go. It’s 150 million for WrestleMania.”
That context matters: WWE normally receives roughly $55 million for each of its Saudi Arabia events. Bringing the company’s biggest annual show to the kingdom is apparently worth nearly three times the usual fee — a deal so massive that walking away from it is barely a realistic option. As Meltzer put it: “And that is, you know, you don’t want to put that in jeopardy.”
Middle East uncertainty looms over the deal
The timing of the revelation is striking, because it comes amid real questions about whether major sporting events in the region will proceed at all. Meltzer noted that an upcoming UFC show in Saudi Arabia (late November or early December) is in jeopardy, and a planned Canelo Alvarez fight — while not canceled yet — is the subject of “lots of talk.”
Organizers are reportedly already preparing backup plans, and Meltzer himself wasn’t shy about his view: “I mean, we’re in the middle of a war and it’s obviously they shouldn’t go.”
For now, there has been no confirmed change to WWE’s WrestleMania plans, and the $150 million figure remains Meltzer’s number based on the information he received — it has not been publicly confirmed through WWE’s contract documents. Still, even as an estimate, it’s an eye-watering sum that explains exactly why the Saudi partnership remains the most lucrative arrangement in wrestling.
Also Read: John Cena Still Fighting For WrestleMania In London: ‘This City Has Earned The Right’, Sami Zayn To Go Face-To-Face With Roman Reigns On October 19 WWE Raw
Source: Ringside News — read the full story there.
