Friday's WWE SmackDown In Knoxville Reportedly Highest Grossing In Market's History

The latest episode of "WWE SmackDown" in Knoxville, Tennessee was a historic night for the company. According to Fightful Select, the latest edition of the blue brand's weekly marked the highest-grossing event in WWE history for that particular market, so the promotion can tick off another record-breaking achievement.

This past Friday's "SmackDown" was a stacked show that featured more matches from WWE's ongoing tournament to crown a new World Heavyweight Champion, with superstars such as Rey Mysterio, Edge, and AJ Styles in action. Elsewhere, Roman Reigns made an appearance and confronted the Usos for their WrestleMania 39 mishap, which saw them lose the Undisputed WWE Tag Team Championship to Sami Zayn and Kevin Owens.

WWE bringing some star power to the show undoubtedly boosted ticket sales for "SmackDown," but the show's reported gross is just the latest example of WWE's success in 2023. The Q1 report revealed that ticket sales and live attendance figures have skyrocketed, resulting in some impressive profits. Per the report, live event revenue is up by 41 percent compared to last year, with the promotion earning $32.6 million for the first quarter of this year alone.

Despite running fewer events compared to last year, the company has increased its ticket prices and reaped the rewards. At the same time, attendance figures are also on the rise; in 2022, shows averaged 5,700 people, while this year has seen that number ascend to 7,500. With the 2023 shareholders' meeting coming up later this month, WWE officials have plenty to celebrate in terms of growth and success.