World Wrestling Entertainment® made history tonight at the University of
Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, AZ, as WrestleMania XXVI grossed
$5.8 million, becoming the highest grossing and attended entertainment
event ever held at the stadium. The previous record was a U2
concert on October 20, 2009 that attracted 50,775 fans and grossed $4.9
million. 72,219 fans from all 50 states and 26 countries attended the
sold out event, outdrawing Super Bowl XLII (71,101 attendance) in the
same building.
WWE’s annual pop-culture extravaganza was broadcast around the world on
pay-per-view in more than 100 countries and 20 languages.
"WrestleMania XXVI was a tremendous success, and we thank the
public and private sectors of Glendale and Phoenix for rolling out the
red carpet to WWE® and our fans during WrestleMania Week,” said John P.
Saboor, Senior Vice President of Special Events, World Wrestling
Entertainment. "WrestleMania is an important rite of passage for WWE
fans each year, bringing with them a tremendous economic impact to the
community.”
WrestleMania XXVII will take place on Sunday, April 3, 2011 from
the Georgia Dome in Atlanta, GA. Ticket information will be announced
later this year.
World
Wrestling Entertainment, Inc., a publicly traded company (NYSE:
WWE), is an integrated media organization and recognized leader in
global entertainment. The company consists of a portfolio of businesses
that create and deliver original content 52 weeks a year to a global
audience. WWE is committed to family-friendly, PG
content across all of its platforms including television
programming, pay-per-view, digital media and publishing. WWE programming
is broadcast in more than 145 countries and 30 languages and reaches
more than 500 million homes worldwide. The company is headquartered in
Stamford, Conn., with offices in New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, London,
Shanghai, Sydney, Tokyo and Toronto. Additional information on World
Wrestling Entertainment, Inc. (NYSE: WWE) can be found at wwe.com
and corporate.wwe.com.
Trademarks: All WWE programming,
talent names, images, likenesses, slogans, wrestling moves, trademarks,
copyrights and logos are the exclusive property of World Wrestling
Entertainment, Inc. and its subsidiaries. All other trademarks, logos
and copyrights are the property of their respective owners.
Forward-Looking Statements: This
news release contains forward-looking statements pursuant to the safe
harbor provisions of the Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, which
are subject to various risks and uncertainties. These risks and
uncertainties include risks relating to maintaining and renewing key
agreements, including television distribution agreements; the need for
continually developing creative and entertaining programming; the
continued importance of key performers and the services of Vincent
McMahon; the conditions of the markets in which we compete; acceptance
of the Company's brands, media and merchandise within those markets;
uncertainties relating to regulatory and litigation matters; risks
resulting from the highly competitive nature of our markets; the
importance of protecting our intellectual property and complying with
the intellectual property rights of others; risks associated with
producing live events both domestically and internationally;
uncertainties associated with international markets; risks relating to
our film business and any new business initiative which we may
undertake; risks relating to the large number of shares of common stock
controlled by members of the McMahon family; and other risks and factors
set forth from time to time in Company filings with the Securities and
Exchange Commission. Actual results could differ materially from those
currently expected or anticipated. In addition, our dividend is
significant and is dependent on a number of factors, including, among
other things, our liquidity and historical and projected cash flow,
strategic plan (including alternative uses of capital), our financial
results and condition, contractual and legal restrictions on the payment
of dividends, general economic and competitive conditions and such other
factors as our Board of Directors may consider relevant, including a
waiver by the McMahon family of a portion of the dividends.
