WWE got more than $500,000 in cash & incentives from San Antonio for 2023 Royal Rumble

After a lengthy wait and a fight from both the San Antonio government and WWE, the amount of cash and incentives WWE received for bringing the Royal Rumble to Texas in 2023 has been revealed.

Wrestlenomics’ Brandon Thurston reported that WWE received a financial package of $546,710.74 ($250,000 in cash) for the January mainstay at the Alamodome. The non-cash portion covered other event-related expenses with the full amount submitted to the Texas Governor’s Office for reimbursement.

The amount is in line with what WWE received from Tampa/St. Petersburg, Florida, tourist organizations for this past January’s Royal Rumble and a fraction of what they have been reportedly receiving in financial packages for WrestleManias and even 2022’s Clash at the Castle in Cardiff, Wales.

Thurston had to fight for the information via the Freedom of Information Act, noting, “The agreement’s release has been the subject of multiple reviews from the Texas Attorney General, with both WWE and the San Antonio government claiming the contract constituted a trade secret.”

Since February, WWE has had an ongoing lawsuit against the Attorney General’s office with the subject of whether the contract should be published as the primary issue. This, as Thurston noted, is still active despite the said publishing of the contract which is available in full on his website.

Some of the specific financials include WWE providing the city with 15% of “novelties” which Thurston believes is venue merchandise sales in addition to small cuts of per-ticket sales to help offset transit and maintenance costs.

The event drew a $7.3 million gate from 44,569 tickets sold, revealed in a previous Thurston report.