SUMMARY
- WWE WrestleMania is arguably the biggest annual event in the entire professional wrestling industry.
- The event has been running successfully since the last 40 years, and it seems it'll continue for decades.
WWE organizes numerous events throughout the year, but one show that every single pro wrestling fan waits eagerly for is WrestleMania. The Showcase of the Immortals has been running successfully for the last four decades, and it’s safe to say that it is the most iconic thing in the long history of professional wrestling.
Amid the kind of impact this event has had on the overall success of the Stamford-based promotion, many consider it to be the biggest sports event. Due to the popularity The Show of Shows has among fans, every edition of the show sets new records for viewership. So, let’s take a look at the five most watched WrestleManias in WWE history.
5. WrestleMania 34
The edition that is ranked fifth on this list is WrestleMania 34, which took place on April 8, 2018, at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome in New Orleans. It was one of the most memorable editions of The Showcase of the Immortals in recent memory, as it had matches such as Brock Lesnar vs. Roman Reigns and AJ Styles vs. Shinsuke Nakamura.
In addition to this, the 2018 show also witnessed the end of Asuka’s undefeated streak in WWE, as Charlotte pinned her for the SmackDown Women’s Championship. The event also saw the in-ring return of the fan-favorite Daniel Bryan, and it played a major role in making it the success it was.
Amid all the memorable moments that took place on WrestleMania 34 and also the hype it had before the show, the viewership was pretty huge. As per official reports, WrestleMania weekend was watched for 25.2 million hours on average, which was 12 percent higher than the same period last year. In addition to this, the Stamford-based promotion gathered $14.1 million, beating the venue’s previous record.
4. WrestleMania 36
WrestleMania 36 was the first edition of The Show of Shows to be held without a live crowd. But the forceful move to not have an audience and organizing the event in the performance center after the COVID outbreak resulted in viewership benefits. In fact, 2020’s WrestleMania became the most social event in WWE history.
The event was filmed on March 25 and 26, 2020, at the PC in Orlando, Florida, and was then broadcast as a two-night event on April 4 and 5. It was the first time that the show was distributed across two nights, and the company set WrestleMania Week viewership records through it. The promotion generated over 967 million video views across all social platforms, which was about 20% more than the previous edition.
In addition to this, a record 46 million hours of content were consumed by professional wrestling fans in the week leading up to WrestleMania 36, which was an increase of 28 percent from 2019. All these feats by the company are enough to showcase how good of an event WrestleMania 2020 was for the promotion in terms of viewership.
3. WrestleMania 37
Hosted by WWE Hall of Famers Hulk Hogan and Titus O’Neil, WrestleMania 37 took place on April 10 and 11, 2021, at the Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida. The event was originally scheduled to take place on March 28 at the SoFi Stadium, but due to COVID-19 restrictions in that region, it was rescheduled.
In addition to this, this edition was the first time the Stamford-based promotion had ticketed fans in attendance for an event during the COVID-19 pandemic, even though it had a limited capacity. The highlight of the grand stage of WrestleMania was the triple-threat match between Roman Reigns, Edge, and Daniel Bryan, as they stole the show with their extraordinary performances.
Amid the kind of build WrestleMania 37 had, the show received a great response from fans, and the viewership records for the event were also spectacular. According to WWE, The Show of Shows was able to accumulate a record 1.1 billion video views across all their social media channels, a 14% increase year-over-year, which was really incredible.
2. WrestleMania 38
The second-ranked edition on this list of the 5 most watched WrestleMania events in WWE history is WrestleMania 38. The show took place over two days on April 2 and 3, 2022, at Arlington’s AT&T Stadium and saw several iconic moments, such as the return of Stone Cold Steve Austin.
The Texas Rattlesnake not only made his return but even had a match against Kevin Owens. Moreover, the interaction between Stone Cold and Vince McMahon made it even more memorable. In addition to this, Cody Rhodes also made his highly anticipated return to the Triple H-led promotion at The Show of Shows.
All these incredible moments resulted in massive success for the company, as they drew 2.2 billion impressions across all platforms. In fact, the event generated 1.1 billion video views, 13.1 million hours of video watch time, and 87 million engagements over the entire weekend, which shows how successful it was for the Stamford-based promotion.
1. WrestleMania 39
Taking first rank on this list as the most-viewed event in the history of The Show of Shows is none other than WrestleMania 39. The 2023 edition was the most social WrestleMania of all time, as it generated over 500 million views and 11 million hours of video consumption over the two days. In fact, this was a significant 42 percent increase over the records for 2022.
A major reason behind the amazing feats this edition achieved was the kind of card it had, as all major names from the Triple H-led promotion competed at the show. Among all the matches that took place at the event, Cody Rhodes vs. Roman Reigns was arguably the most hyped storyline heading into The Grandest Stage of them All, and it helped make WrestleMania 39 a success.
On the first night of the event, 2023’s WrestleMania surpassed the global viewership record by 28 percent. But on the next day, Night 2 surpassed the record by 33 percent, which was spectacular. In addition to this, the show in SoFi Stadium generated a gate of more than $21.6 million, which was 27% higher than the previous record.
All in all, it can be said that The Show of Shows’ legacy is what has helped WWE achieve such massive viewership records. Moreover, as the organization is now in one of its hottest states, it’s possible that the upcoming editions of WrestleMania might break all the existing records to make the event a festival for the enthusiasts of professional wrestling.