WrestleMania XL: Step Inside This Year’s New Fan Experience

WWE World at WrestleMania featured a variety of immersive experiences including roundtable discussions with WWE superstars, a WWE 2K24 gaming tournament and lounge, live podcast recordings, memorabilia and autograph sales, and merch.Photo: Courtesy of Philadelphia Convention and Visitors BureauPHILADELPHIA— Earlier this month, WWE hosted WrestleMania XL, a multiday experience featuring the brand’s usual cast of flamboyant characters. 

ICYMI: Cody Rhodes defeated Roman Reigns to win the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship, and Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson made his highly anticipated in-ring return. The two-day main event took place April 6 and 7 at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia. 

New this year, WWE enlisted Fanatics Events, the live and special event division of Fanatics, to create WWE World at WrestleMania, a five-day interactive fan experience that took place April 4-8 at the Pennsylvania Convention Center. Ticket prices ranged between $30 and $300. 

The fan fest featured a variety of immersive experiences including roundtable discussions with WWE superstars, a WWE 2K24 gaming tournament and lounge, live podcast recordings, memorabilia and autograph sales, and merch, along with autograph sessions, meet-and-greets, and immersive exhibits and memorabilia honoring WrestleMania’s 40-year history. 

During previous WrestleMania events, the company set up its own fan experience, known as Superstore Axxess. WWE World focused more on content and programming as opposed to years past, according to Fanatics. In addition to the programming, WWE World leaned into the 40 years of WrestleMania and highlighted WWE’s history through never-before-seen superstar sets and themed memorabilia displays. 

The company added that there was a ”big push from WWE to have everything tie back to the brand over the last 40 years and pay respects to the new Hall of Fame class and the city of Philadelphia.” 

In addition to the main event at Lincoln Financial Field and WWE World, the city also hosted a pep rally at Philadelphia International Airport, a Make-A-Wish event at the Independence Visitor Center, and Friday Night Smackdown and Monday Night Raw at Wells Fargo Center. 

According to the WWE, WrestleMania XL is “the most successful and highest-grossing event in company history,” with 145,298 in attendance at Lincoln Financial Field over two nights, while WWE World at WrestleMania is now the highest-grossing and most-attended fan event. Plus, WrestleMania XL became Peacock’s most-streamed entertainment event ever, with 1.3 billion live minutes across both nights. 

Larry Needle, executive director of PHL Sports, a business division of the Philadelphia Convention and Visitors Bureau, said the city is projecting a similar economic outcome to WrestleMania 39, which generated $215 million for Los Angeles.

“Throughout the five days of WWE events, Philadelphia hotels were at near capacity, and our downtown businesses and restaurants were bustling. All in all, the weekend’s events drew fans to Philadelphia from all 50 states and 64 countries. It’s safe to say hosting WrestleMania XL was a massive win for Philadelphia,” he added.

In September, Endeavor closed the $21 billion merger between the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) and World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE), forming a new combined company called TKO Group Holdings. Earlier this year, TKO Group Holdings brought together the global partnerships teams at UFC and WWE to form a singular global partnerships unit with a unified sponsorship strategy.

Snickers and WWE 2K24 were once again the presenting partners of WrestleMania.

The location and date for WrestleMania 41 have not been released yet, but Minneapolis is in the running. 

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