The return comes as Las Vegas works to reverse a tourism slump — the city recorded its fewest visitors in four years during 2025 — and as WWE’s deal with ESPN moves championship matches to linear television for the first time in the event’s 41-year history.
WWE’s WrestleMania 41 opens Saturday at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas for the second consecutive year, streaming on the ESPN app for the first time. Parent company TKO Group said studies conducted by research firm Applied Analysis found last year’s two-night event generated $322.2 million in economic impact for the city. Championship matches include undisputed WWE champion Cody Rhodes defending his title against Randy Orton, and CM Punk defending the World Heavyweight Championship against Roman Reigns.
The return comes as Las Vegas works to reverse a tourism downturn — the city recorded its fewest visitors in four years during 2025 — and as WWE’s agreement with ESPN moves championship matches to linear television for the first time in the event’s 41-year history.
Economic Impact
TKO said Applied Analysis found that 124,693 fans attended the 2025 WrestleMania across the two nights at Allegiant Stadium. Of those attendees, 85.4% traveled to Las Vegas specifically for the event, 22% were international visitors, and 90.2% were not local residents, according to Applied Analysis data cited by TKO.
Jefferies analyst Randal Konik said in a recent note that WrestleMania generated approximately $66 million in ticket sales for the two-night 2025 event, based on Pollstar data. Average ticket prices were about $635, nearly double the prior year’s WrestleMania, Konik said.
“WrestleMania 41’s performance highlights the strength and strategic importance of WWE as a core asset within TKO,” Konik wrote.
WWE also organizes surrounding events including meet-and-greets with wrestlers, its Hall of Fame ceremony, and tapings for weekly television programs “SmackDown” and “Raw,” giving fans more reasons to extend their trips.
Las Vegas Tourism
Las Vegas saw its fewest visitors in four years during 2025, and Strip gaming revenue rose less than 1%, according to statistics released in January. Hosting WrestleMania for a second consecutive year is part of the city’s effort to attract visitors as it contends with shifting tourism trends.
Card and Coverage
This year’s championship bouts include undisputed WWE champion Cody Rhodes defending his title against Randy Orton, and CM Punk putting his World Heavyweight Championship on the line against Roman Reigns.
ESPN’s “SportsCenter” will begin Las Vegas coverage Thursday, and “First Take” will originate from Las Vegas on Friday. Both event nights start at 6 p.m. EDT. Saturday’s opening hour will air on ESPN2, Sunday’s opening hour will air on ESPN, and the remainder of both nights will stream on the ESPN app.
This marks the first time any portion of WrestleMania’s main card has aired on linear television. ESPN began carrying WWE premium live events on its ESPN Unlimited streaming service last September. Most major cable, satellite, and streaming services have reached agreements with Disney that include an ESPN Unlimited subscription as part of their TV package, according to the AP.
The first WrestleMania took place in 1985 at Madison Square Garden in New York.