Royal Rumble Buyrate is In - Successful

[Todd]

The Rumble buyrate is in and it's good news for WWE. Up 14% from last year's buyrate of 438k, WWE were achingly close to the 500k mark with 498k. Anyway, it's the highest Rumble buyrate for five years.

Whether the extra few million was actually worth the hassle they put themselves through at the end of the year to get this match is up for debate.

[KLockard23]

I expected it to be up around 600,000, with The Rock and all.

[Todd]

The Rumble hasn't done that sort of number for ten years when PPV was a very different and far more lucrative revenue stream. 600k was never going to be possible.

This is still hugely successful. PPV is generally on the downturn, the little spikes here and there that Rock, Lesnar and HHH give it are keeping it generally more successful than 2011 which is good.

[KLockard23]

How was PPV so much different back then? This PPV was a success, but I don't see how Wrestlemania (which has gone up in buy rates over the years) can be expected to get at least a million buys or close, but the Rumble doing close to 600,000 is considered improbable.

[Todd]

WrestleMania bucks the trend of the business entirely.

In 2002 there wasn't a single PPV under 300k. In 2012, exactly half of the PPVs did under 200k. And 2012 has the added benefit of incorporating international buys.

PPV is not what it was. They have done a marvellous job with WrestleMania but it applies to WrestleMania and WrestleMania only. And even WrestleMania is doing less buys in the US than it was, but it is hugely successful internationally.

[Heartbreak Kid]

How was PPV so much different back then? This PPV was a success, but I don't see how Wrestlemania (which has gone up in buy rates over the years) can be expected to get at least a million buys or close, but the Rumble doing close to 600,000 is considered improbable.

I am surpirsed anyone even buys PPVs anymore considering that you can stream any PPV you want for free. PPV today is completely different to what it was in the late 90s-early 00s. It's on the decline

[BadNewsFan]

I've said it before...I used to buy every PPV all year long about 10 years ago.

That changed to about half, to two or three to now one, Wrestlemania only.

There too expensive and too easy to watch for free for me, and I'm guessing millions other than me feel the same way.

Its a wonder they still put up numbers this big.

[Big Pete]

I actually think it's a disappointment given how much effort they put into building this event than any of the prior Rumbles.

This had what? 6 months of build where Punk was turned and established as a heel so The Rock could vanquish him and save us from his reign of doom? I can't think of any other Rumble that had that type of build, at least not in the past 5 years.

Let's review
2012: Kane vs. John Cena
2011: Miz vs. Randy Orton
2010: Sheamus vs. Randy Orton/Rey Mysterio vs. The Undertaker
2009: Edge vs. Jeff Hardy
2008: Randy Orton vs. Jeff Hardy

None of them received the attention 2013 did, even 2008 which I felt the WWE went to a lot of effort into putting together. Considering the money they would have spent on The Rock and advertisement, I don't think the 23 000 increase would cover it, in-fact, I think those previous shows would have been more profitable.

[Todd]

Six months of build is a gross overstatement IMO. You're basing that on what, one promo?

[Stefan]

How was PPV so much different back then? This PPV was a success, but I don't see how Wrestlemania (which has gone up in buy rates over the years) can be expected to get at least a million buys or close, but the Rumble doing close to 600,000 is considered improbable.

Dial-up internet precluded pirates live streaming PPVs. When it comes to WrestleMania, they crack down more, plus it's WrestleMania and people are willing more to order it just based on brand value.

[Big Pete]

Six months of build is a gross overstatement IMO. You're basing that on what, one promo?

Raw 1000 and how they booked accordingly. Let's not forget Punk was mocking The Rock post-1000 either with his 'Rock Bottom' stance and 'Boots 2 Faces' slogan. Even prior to Raw 1000, Punk was calling 'Dwayne' out.

However, fans knew from Raw 1000 on The Rock would be wrestling for the WWE Championship and that the match would most likely be against Punk.

However, it's important that I distinguish promotion and buildup. The match itself wasn't promoted until Punk/Rock went face to face on Raw post Ryback TLC. The buildup for the Rumble encounter began at Raw 1000.

[Todd]

Raw 1000 and how they booked accordingly. Let's not forget Punk was mocking The Rock post-1000 either with his 'Rock Bottom' stance and 'Boots 2 Faces' slogan. Even prior to Raw 1000, Punk was calling 'Dwayne' out.

However, fans knew from Raw 1000 on The Rock would be wrestling for the WWE Championship and that the match would most likely be against Punk.

We knew it was going to happen. Whether the masses knew, I'm genuinely not sure.

Nevertheless, the build for the match started when Rock turned up on January 7, IMO.

[Big Pete]

We can both agree that a member of a WWE Championship match at the Rumble has never been decided that early.

[Todd]

Absolutely.

[Darkmania]

I purchased it this year because I thought stuff was actually going to happen;

-I thought the Rock had a chance at winning the title and he did
-I thought Cena had a chance at winning the Rumble
=Wrestlemania main event solidified at the Rumble.

It turned out to be a pretty important event as it began to set the stage for Wrestlemania.

[Slushy]

This is why Punk's reign had to end. Sorry, folks!

[No Quarter]

I always order the Rumble ppv. The Rumble match is one my favorite matches of the year, plus this year we got Punk vs. Rock. I was disappointed in the tag title match, I felt they phoned it in. ADR/Show was pretty good too, though nothing special really. But that double main event was awesome.

[vincemark]

This Royal Rumble number is disappointing when you consider The Rock's expense.
Keep in mind the Rumble revenue been getting better over the past few years despite small drops in the buyrate.

[Vince Mcmahon]

This is why Punk's reign had to end. Sorry, folks!

You know there is some merit to this. The number is good for today's market, but I thought it would be better.

PPV shows have always been pirated even back in the 80's though. Black boxes have been around long before hidden streams. The company actually does a pretty good job cutting it down actually.

The biggest problem I see that is causing the downfall of ppv is that there is just too much wrestling you can see for free on television. It worked during the Monday Night Wars because it was a new model at the time seeing star vs. star matches weekly which helped the tv ratings, but now it has become expected from fans who have been conditioned for it. There is just not enough talent for this to work like it did back then especially with only one real company(sorry TNA).

[KLockard23]

I am surpirsed anyone even buys PPVs anymore considering that you can stream any PPV you want for free. PPV today is completely different to what it was in the late 90s-early 00s. It's on the decline

The same logic can extend to the movie business, yet movies still rake in millions of dollars and break box office records.

[Vince Mcmahon]

The same logic can extend to the movie business, yet movies still rake in millions of dollars and break box office records.

Yeah I never buy the excuses for the lower numbers especially when the company is stressing how it is an entertainment company more nowadays too. The business just does not have the star power it once did which is why guys like Rock, Lesnar, and HHH are brought back. It is a way to hide the decline and to help the major ppv shows buy rate image compared to the past. It is a way to prevent people seeing low numbers at the big events that are traditionally suppose to continue the big numbers.

[KLockard23]

Yeah I never buy the excuses for the lower numbers especially when the company is stressing how it is an entertainment company more nowadays too. The business just does not have the star power it once did which is why guys like Rock, Lesnar, and HHH are brought back. It is a way to hide the decline and to help the major ppv shows buy rate image compared to the past. It is a way to prevent people seeing low numbers at the big events that are traditionally suppose to continue the big numbers.

Lance Storm wrote a brillant article explaining another reason why he thinks the numbers for PPV are falling: http://www.stormwrestling.com/100510.html

[Vince Mcmahon]

Lance Storm wrote a brillant article explaining another reason why he thinks the numbers for PPV are falling: http://www.stormwrestling.com/100510.html

I had a thread topic on here that was similar to that called "It Doesn't Matter". I was pointing out how the company has now made the matches seem irrelevant with nonsense like "wins and losses don't matter". Just add Storm's article to that last quote and it is obvious it is part of the bigger problem.

I think the success of the nWo angle(which turned into a storyline) and the Austin vs. the world angle(turned into the Mcmahon/Austin storyline) were so successful that the company just re-positioned the whole company around "episodic" television. The problem with this is that the wrestling business can't really be THAT episodic when the matches are led to by writing that becomes obvious of where things are going. It is easier to do it the other way around where winners and losers the fans want and expect are given due to the sporting nature of the product.

The company is KIND of doing it now with Rock/Cena, but have put out obvious "story" conclusion of redemption for Cena over whether Cena can win or lose. The same with Lesnar/HHH where the story says HHH should win instead of basing it off the talent trying to win a match off their "skills".

Some might say storylines are more important, but I think it should complement. The Attitude Era and nWo Era relied heavily upon this, but how long did that last before wcw went out of business and the wwe had to go back to more wrestling related stuff in the Ruthless Aggression Era where more athletes were brought in such as Lesnar, WGGT, Angle(I know he was in the tail end of attitude, but he was not given the main push until this era), and so on

[No Quarter]

Some people say they were expecting a bigger number. How big were some expecting? I have no idea what they usually got back in the day.

[Vince Mcmahon]

Some people say they were expecting a bigger number. How big were some expecting? I have no idea what they usually got back in the day.

I thought it would be in the 600,000-700,000 range when you take into consideration it was Rock's follow up match with Cena and CM Punk was being protected as the longest reigning champion of the new millennium. Biggest face against the biggest heel without using Lesnar, HHH, or Cena.