Backstage News On How Much WWE Was Paid For Royal Rumble In Saudi Arabia

New financial details are shedding light on WWE’s growing global business, including a major revenue figure tied to Royal Rumble and early expectations for WrestleMania in Saudi Arabia.

As previously reported, TKO Group Holdings released its fourth-quarter and full-year 2025 earnings results on Wednesday, February 25.

The report revealed that WWE generated $1.709 billion in revenue for the year, a figure that reflects total revenue, not profit.

During the earnings call, TKO President Mark Shapiro provided additional insight into WWE’s international business.

According to the latest Wrestling Observer Newsletter at F4WOnline.com, Shapiro stated that the 2026 WWE Royal Rumble Premium Live Event brought in $55 million, the same revenue figure WWE has received for its previous Saudi Arabia PLEs.

That number raised some eyebrows.

There had been internal and outside expectations that Royal Rumble, one of WWE’s most prestigious annual events, would command a higher fee than the company’s standard Saudi Arabia shows due to its brand value and historical significance.

Instead, the payout remained in line with prior agreements.

Looking ahead, WrestleMania 43 is scheduled to take place in Saudi Arabia next year, a move WWE officially announced back in September.

While WWE has not confirmed specific financial details, the Observer report notes that WrestleMania is expected to secure a substantially larger payment from the Saudi Public Investment Fund, with sources describing the anticipated figure as “well in excess” of $100 million.

If accurate, that would represent a significant escalation in Saudi-backed event revenue for the company.

The 2026 Royal Rumble event was held in Riyadh and featured major storyline implications. Roman Reigns and Liv Morgan emerged victorious in the Men’s and Women’s Royal Rumble matches, respectively.

Reigns is now set to challenge CM Punk for the World Heavyweight Championship at WrestleMania 42, while Morgan will face Stephanie Vaquer for the Women’s World Championship at the two-night April Premium Live Event.