RAW ticket sales continue to rise. At least that's the report from the Patreon site WrestleTix which monitors ticket sales for the wrestling industry. However, how much longer will this continue? Can the WWE maintain the WWE's popularity or does wrestling's popularity doomed to drop as it's done in the past?

A recent report from WrestleTix noted a continued increase in ticket sales for RAW over the last three years. Ringside News' H. Jenkins summarized the findings:

According to the information from WrestleTix’s recent post, WWE RAW averaged 6,931 fans at each show in 2021, 7,478 in 2022, and 9,677 in 2023 so far.

H/T Ringside News

What's the Reason for RAW's Rise?

These are significant numbers for the WWE and show just how high the demand is for WWE events. However, what's the reason behind this increase in ticket sales and will it continue or plateau?

The WWE product has been hot ever since Triple H took over in creative. Dave Meltzer has even observed that the WWE was enjoying a resurgence immediately following WrestleMania 38.

Fans have seen some incredibly popular programs over the last year, including those involving The Judgment Day and The Bloodline. The WWE has found ways to have each group cross over on different brands, which has increased fans' interest.  So far, RAW has managed to capitalize on the The Judgment Day's popularity without overexposing the group.

RAW's ticket success is about more than The Judgment Day. The WWE has found ways to increase the fans' interest in the undercard including its women's division (to a lesser extent than the men's division), Gunther's Intercontinental Championship reign, and Cody Rhodes' quest for the Undisputed Championship.

How Long Will Things Continue?

Is there any end in sight to the WWE's success with RAW (and it's worth noting that SmackDown's ticket sales have been strong. However, this article only pertains to RAW)? Some wrestling historians argue that the wrestling business goes through cycles in popularity. Their argument is that professional wrestling has enjoyed highs and lows which inevitably occur, similar to how economies go through both booms and busts.

Is Wrestling Prone to Cycles of Popularity and Indifference?

However, anyone who has studied wrestling's ups and downs knows that wrestling's popularity tends to increase when fresh characters and developments in storytelling are made. This can also be linked with changes in technology such as the 1950s when wrestling became popular again thanks to the increase in television sets in homes. Wrestling provided an inexpensive form of entertainment for stations and the public ate it up until wrestling became oversaturated.

In the 80s, wrestling enjoyed a boom thanks to the spread of cable television and smaller promotions being turned into larger promotions that featured all-star talent. This was seen when the WWF brought in talent from around North America as did the NWA's Jim Crockett Promotions territory. The collection of top talent and interesting storylines (particularly Vince McMahon's approach of making wrestling accessible for fans and newcomers alike) helped fuel the boom. By the early 90s, stale storylines and a lack of fresh talent slowed the industry down.

However, innovative storylines and fresh talent once again sparked the public's interest, with fans enjoying the New World Order storyline in WCW and ECW showing the WWF how to find success with an edgier product. Once again, wrestling's popularity increased with traditional fans and new fans enjoying the product.

Triple H is said to be a student of wrestling history, which suggests he knows that wrestling's success can neve be taken for granted. If he can create fresh storylines and engaging characters, the WWE could enjoy a boom for some time. As long as that happens, expect to see RAW enjoy robust ticket sales. The only other factor that could affect tickets sales would be a downturn in the economy at which point the WWE would have to adjust its prices.

How much longer do you think the WWE will remain popular and can RAW continue its success with ticket sales? 

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