This is a list of WWE pay-per-view and WWE Network events, detailing all professional wrestling cards promoted on pay-per-view (PPV) and the WWE Network by WWE. Due to the American version of the WWE Network merging under Peacock, and with the WWE Network still available in international markets, as well as less focus being given to traditional PPV channels, in 2022, the company began using the term "Premium Live Event" to refer to their events airing on PPV and the livestreaming services.[1]
WWE has been broadcasting PPV events since the 1980s, when its classic "Big Four" events (Royal Rumble, WrestleMania, SummerSlam, and Survivor Series) were first established—the company's very first PPV was WrestleMania I in 1985. The company's PPV lineup expanded to a monthly basis in the mid-1990s before expanding even further in the mid-2000s. In addition, WWE produced international PPVs not available in the United States between 1997 and 2003. In 2022, the company began recognizing Money in the Bank as one of their five biggest events of the year, thus making it a "Big Five" event along with the classic "Big Four"; King of the Ring was considered a "Big Five" event from 1993 until 2002, after which, it was discontinued as a PPV.
Following WWE's original brand extension in 2002, the company promoted two touring rosters representing its Raw and SmackDown television programs. The traditional "Big Four" continued to showcase the entire roster, while the remaining PPV events alternated between Raw and SmackDown cards. A special ECW PPV in 2005 led to the creation of an ECW brand in 2006, which also received its own dedicated PPV events. In March 2007, WWE announced that all subsequent PPV events would feature performers from all brands.[2] In 2008, all WWE PPV events began broadcasting in high-definition.
The company's PPV business began to drastically change with the launch of the online streaming service, the WWE Network, on February 24, 2014. WWE's focus shifted away from delivering their events solely on PPV channels, with their main focus on delivering all of the events on the WWE Network, including some exclusive events, such as NXT Arrival.[3] Beginning with the 2021 edition of Fastlane, WWE PPVs began airing on NBCUniversal's streaming service, Peacock, in the United States, following a merger of the American WWE Network under Peacock in March that year. The standalone version of the American WWE Network shutdown on April 4; the rest of the world maintains the separate WWE Network service, with some exceptions.[4]
After the second brand extension in July 2016, brand-exclusive PPVs returned with the "Big Four" as the only PPVs to feature both Raw and SmackDown brands. However, brand-exclusive PPVs ended after WrestleMania 34 in April 2018.[5] Beginning with TakeOver 31 in October 2020, NXT TakeOver events started airing on traditional PPV in addition to livestreaming. In late 2021, however, WWE discontinued the NXT TakeOver series.
In addition to Peacock's WWE Network channel, WWE PPVs are still made available on traditional PPV outlets in the United States. In Canada, WWE PPVs are available through Vu!, Shaw PPV, or SaskTel PPV, and are shown in select locations of the Cineplex Entertainment chain. In Australia, WWE's pay-per-views are shown on Main Event. In the United Kingdom and Ireland, all PPVs were shown on Sky Sports Box Office until 2019, when BT Sport took over rights to WWE content.[6] In India and South Asia, a single broadcaster (currently Sony Ten) generally holds the rights to all WWE programming,[7] with PPVs broadcast for no additional charge.[8]
Currently, WWE PPV events are typically 3 hours in length, with some events running longer or shorter. The NXT TakeOver events typically ran between 2 and 3 hours. WWE also airs a pre-show before most PPV events known as the Kickoff show which includes interviews, match previews, and a panel of experts analyzing the upcoming line-up (the pre-shows also used to host some matches but these were phased out in early 2022). WWE occasionally airs a post-show after some events known as Fallout. Each post-show includes interviews and a panel of experts analyzing the event.[9] WWE previously held Raw Talk post-shows for Raw-branded events and Talking Smack for SmackDown-branded events; both still air, but only after the weekly television programs, with the latter airing the next day after SmackDown's broadcast. Since late 2022, some PPVs have also had post-event media press conferences.
Date | Event | Venue | Location | Attendance | Final match |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
March 31 | WrestleMania | Madison Square Garden | New York, New York | 19,121 | Hulk Hogan and Mr. T vs. Roddy Piper and Paul Orndorff in a tag team match |
November 7 | The Wrestling Classic | Rosemont Horizon | Rosemont, Illinois | 14,000 | Junkyard Dog vs. Randy Savage in the Wrestling Classic tournament final |
Date | Event | Venue | Location | Attendance | Final match | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
April 7 | WrestleMania 2 | Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum | Uniondale, New York | 16,585 | Mr. T vs. Roddy Piper in a 10-round boxing match | This aired as one event, but was staged at three locations. Each match listed was the final match for that venue's card |
Rosemont Horizon | Rosemont, Illinois | 9,000 | The Dream Team (Greg Valentine and Brutus Beefcake) (c) vs. The British Bulldogs (Davey Boy Smith and Dynamite Kid) in a tag team match for the WWF Tag Team Championship | |||
Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena | Los Angeles, California | 14,500 | Hulk Hogan (c) vs. King Kong Bundy in a steel cage match for the WWF World Heavyweight Championship |
Date | Event | Venue | Location | Attendance | Final match |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
March 29 | WrestleMania III | Pontiac Silverdome | Pontiac, Michigan | 93,173 | Hulk Hogan (c) vs. André the Giant for the WWF World Heavyweight Championship |
November 26 | Survivor Series | Richfield Coliseum | Richfield Township, Ohio | 21,300 | Hulk Hogan, Paul Orndorff, Don Muraco, Ken Patera, and Bam Bam Bigelow vs. André the Giant, One Man Gang, King Kong Bundy, Rick Rude, and Butch Reed in a 5-on-5 Survivor Series match |
Date | Event | Venue | Location | Attendance | Final match |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
March 27 | WrestleMania IV | Atlantic City Convention Hall | Atlantic City, New Jersey | 19,199 | Randy Savage vs. Ted DiBiase for the vacant WWF World Heavyweight Championship |
August 29 | SummerSlam | Madison Square Garden | New York, New York | 20,000 | The Mega Powers (Randy Savage and Hulk Hogan) vs. The Mega Bucks (Ted DiBiase and André the Giant) in a tag team match |
November 24 | Survivor Series | Richfield Coliseum | Richfield Township, Ohio | 13,500 | The Mega Powers (Randy Savage and Hulk Hogan), Hercules, Koko B. Ware, and Hillbilly Jim vs. Big Boss Man, Akeem, Ted DiBiase, Haku, and The Red Rooster in a 5-on-5 Survivor Series match |
Date | Event | Venue | Location | Attendance | Final match |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
January 15 | Royal Rumble | The Summit | Houston, Texas | 19,000 | 30-man Royal Rumble match |
April 2 | WrestleMania V | Atlantic City Convention Hall | Atlantic City, New Jersey | 18,946 | Randy Savage (c) vs. Hulk Hogan for the WWF World Heavyweight Championship |
August 28 | SummerSlam | Brendan Byrne Arena | East Rutherford, New Jersey | 20,000 | Hulk Hogan and Brutus Beefcake vs. Randy Savage and Zeus in a tag team match |
November 23 | Survivor Series | Rosemont Horizon | Rosemont, Illinois | 15,294 | The Ultimate Warriors (The Ultimate Warrior, Jim Neidhart, and The Rockers (Shawn Michaels and Marty Jannetty)) vs. The Heenan Family (The Colossal Connection (André the Giant and Haku), Arn Anderson, and Bobby Heenan) in a 4-on-4 Survivor Series match |
December 12 (aired December 27) |
No Holds Barred: The Match/The Movie | Nashville Municipal Auditorium | Nashville, Tennessee | Hulk Hogan and Brutus Beefcake vs. Randy Savage and Zeus in a tag team steel cage match |
Date | Event | Venue | Location | Attendance | Final match |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
January 21 | Royal Rumble | Orlando Arena | Orlando, Florida | 16,000 | 30-man Royal Rumble match |
April 1 | WrestleMania VI | SkyDome | Toronto, Ontario, Canada | 67,678 | Hulk Hogan (World-c) vs. The Ultimate Warrior (IC-c) in a Winner Takes All match for the WWF World Heavyweight Championship and WWF Intercontinental Championship |
August 27 | SummerSlam | Spectrum | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania | 19,304 | The Ultimate Warrior (c) vs. Rick Rude in a steel cage match for the WWF World Heavyweight Championship |
November 22 | Survivor Series | Hartford Civic Center | Hartford, Connecticut | 16,000 | The Ultimate Warrior, Hulk Hogan, and Tito Santana vs. Ted DiBiase and The Visionaries (Rick Martel, The Warlord, and Power and Glory (Hercules and Paul Roma)) in a 3-on-5 handicap Survivor Series match |
Date | Event | Venue | Location | Attendance | Final match |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
January 19 | Royal Rumble | Miami Arena | Miami, Florida | 16,000 | 30-man Royal Rumble match |
March 24 | WrestleMania VII | Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena | Los Angeles, California | 16,158 | Sgt. Slaughter (c) vs. Hulk Hogan for the WWF World Heavyweight Championship |
August 26 | SummerSlam | Madison Square Garden | New York, New York | 20,000 | Hulk Hogan and The Ultimate Warrior vs. Sgt. Slaughter, General Adnan, and Col. Mustafa in a 2-on-3 handicap match |
November 27 | Survivor Series | Joe Louis Arena | Detroit, Michigan | 17,500 | Big Boss Man and The Legion Of Doom (Hawk and Animal) vs. Irwin R. Schyster and The Natural Disasters (Earthquake and Typhoon) in a 3-on-3 Survivor Series match |
December 3 | This Tuesday in Texas | Freeman Coliseum | San Antonio, Texas | 8,000 | The Undertaker (c) vs. Hulk Hogan for the WWF World Heavyweight Championship |
Date | Event | Venue | Location | Attendance | Final match |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
January 19 | Royal Rumble | Knickerbocker Arena | Albany, New York | 17,000 | 30-man Royal Rumble match for the vacant WWF World Heavyweight Championship |
April 5 | WrestleMania VIII | Hoosier Dome | Indianapolis, Indiana | 62,167 | Hulk Hogan vs. Sid Justice |
August 29 (aired August 31) |
SummerSlam | Wembley Stadium | Brent, London, England | 80,355 | Bret Hart (c) vs. The British Bulldog for the WWF Intercontinental Championship |
November 25 | Survivor Series | Richfield Coliseum | Richfield Township, Ohio | 18,000 | Bret Hart (c) vs. Shawn Michaels for the WWF World Heavyweight Championship |
Date | Event | Venue | Location | Attendance | Final match |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
January 24 | Royal Rumble | ARCO Arena | Sacramento, California | 16,000 | 30-man Royal Rumble match |
April 4 | WrestleMania IX | Caesars Palace | Paradise, Nevada | 16,891 | Yokozuna (c) vs. Hulk Hogan for the WWF World Heavyweight Championship |
June 13 | King of the Ring | Nutter Center | Dayton, Ohio | 6,500 | Bret Hart vs. Bam Bam Bigelow in the King of the Ring tournament final |
August 30 | SummerSlam | The Palace of Auburn Hills | Auburn Hills, Michigan | 23,954 | Yokozuna (c) vs. Lex Luger for the WWF World Heavyweight Championship |
November 24 | Survivor Series | Boston Garden | Boston, Massachusetts | 15,509 | The All Americans (Lex Luger, The Undertaker, and The Steiner Brothers (Rick Steiner and Scott Steiner)) vs. The Foreign Fanatics (Yokozuna, Ludvig Borga, Jacques Rougeau, and Crush) in a 4-on-4 Survivor Series match |
Date | Event | Venue | Location | Attendance | Final match |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
January 22 | Royal Rumble | Providence Civic Center | Providence, Rhode Island | 14,500 | 30-man Royal Rumble match |
March 20 | WrestleMania X | Madison Square Garden | New York, New York | 18,065 | Yokozuna (c) vs. Bret Hart for the WWF World Heavyweight Championship |
June 19 | King of the Ring | Baltimore Arena | Baltimore, Maryland | 12,000 | Roddy Piper vs. Jerry Lawler |
August 29 | SummerSlam | United Center | Chicago, Illinois | 23,300 | The Undertaker vs. "The Undertaker" |
November 23 | Survivor Series | Freeman Coliseum | San Antonio, Texas | 10,001 | The Undertaker vs. Yokozuna in a casket match |
Raw-branded event | SmackDown-branded event |
Raw-branded event | SmackDown-branded event |
Raw-branded event | SmackDown-branded event |
Raw-branded event | SmackDown-branded event |
Raw-branded event | SmackDown-branded event | ECW-branded event |
Raw-branded event | SmackDown-branded event |
The WWE Network was launched on February 24, 2014. Every pay-per-view event from this point forward aired on both traditional PPV outlets and the WWE Network. However, beginning with NXT Arrival, several additional events began airing exclusively on the Network. The Network exclusives are noted.
NXT-branded event |
NXT-branded event |
Raw-branded event | SmackDown-branded event | NXT-branded event |
Raw-branded event | SmackDown-branded event | NXT-branded event | United Kingdom-branded event |
Raw-branded event | SmackDown-branded event | NXT-branded event | United Kingdom-branded event |
SmackDown-branded event | NXT-branded event | NXT UK-branded event |
NXT-branded event | NXT UK-branded event |
NXT-branded event |
NXT-branded event |
NXT-branded event |
NXT-branded event |
Date | Event | Venue | Location | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|
May 27 | Night of Champions[10] | Jeddah Super Dome | Jeddah, Mecca Province, Saudi Arabia | |
May 28 | Battleground[11] | Tsongas Center | Lowell, Massachusetts | Network exclusive |
July 1 | Money in the Bank[12] | The O2 Arena | London, England | |
August 5 | SummerSlam[13] | Ford Field | Detroit, Michigan |
Date | Event | Venue | Location | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|
April 6 | WrestleMania XL[14][15] | Lincoln Financial Field | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania | Will air as a two-part event |
April 7 |
Overall total — 490 (6 more confirmed)
These ten wrestlers have the most PPV matches as of Backlash 2023.
Rank | Wrestler | No. of PPV matches[16] | First PPV match | Latest PPV match |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Randy Orton | 181 | SummerSlam 2003 | WrestleMania Backlash 2022 |
2 | Kane | 176 | SummerSlam 1995 | Royal Rumble 2021 |
3 | The Undertaker | 174 | Survivor Series 1990 | WrestleMania 36 |
4 | Triple H | 173 | SummerSlam 1995 | Super ShowDown 2019 |
5 | John Cena | 164 | Vengeance 2002 | WrestleMania 39 |
6 | Edge | 145 | Summerslam 1998 | WrestleMania 39 |
7 | Chris Jericho | 144 | Unforgiven 1999 | Greatest Royal Rumble |
8 | Big Show | 142 | WrestleMania XV | SummerSlam 2017 |
9 | The Miz | 130 | Armageddon 2004 | WrestleMania 39 |
10 | Kofi Kingston | 121 | Night of Champions 2008 | Royal Rumble 2023 |
Many WWE events are thematic, centered on particular types of matches, or have an annually recurring main event. Most themed or gimmick events (sans the "Big Five" events) are roughly treated like filler themed events to carry the audience until the next event dating back to the days when the In Your House system was used.[17]
Event | Feature |
---|---|
Current | |
Royal Rumble | Features the Royal Rumble match[18][19][20] |
Elimination Chamber | Features the Elimination Chamber match[21][22][23][24] |
Money in the Bank | Features the Money in the Bank ladder match[25] |
Extreme Rules | Generally features at least one Extreme Rules match, while other matches are variants of hardcore wrestling.[26][27] |
Survivor Series | Features elimination-style matches, particularly the traditional Survivor Series match.[28] Carried an interbrand theme from 2016 to 2021,[29] and then themed on the WarGames match beginning in 2022.[30] |
Former | |
The Wrestling Classic | Featured The Wrestling Classic, a single-elimination tournament[31] |
Invasion | All of the matches were between the WWF and The Alliance of WCW and ECW.[32] |
King of the Ring | Featured the King of the Ring tournament.[33] |
Bad Blood | Featured the Hell in a Cell match.[34] |
One Night Stand | The pay-per-views were themed around the original Extreme Championship Wrestling promotion and consisted of various hardcore-based matches.[35][27] Extreme Rules replaced this event in 2009 and continued the concept of featuring various hardcore-based matches.[26] |
Taboo Tuesday, later Cyber Sunday | Fans were able to vote on the matches, such as opponents or stipulations.[36] |
Breaking Point | Featured matches with "give up" stipulations, such as submission matches and I Quit matches.[37] |
Fatal 4-Way | Featured Fatal 4-Way matches[38][39] |
Bragging Rights | The Raw and SmackDown brands would compete against one another for the Bragging Rights trophy and a 14-man tag team match between the two brands would take place;[40][41] following the return of the brand extension in 2016, Survivor Series took on the brand competition theme where Raw and SmackDown competed for brand supremacy until 2021 (NXT was also involved in 2019). |
Night of Champions | Every active WWE championship of the main roster was defended;[42][43] this event was replaced by Clash of Champions in 2016 with a similar concept. |
Greatest Royal Rumble | Featured the Greatest Royal Rumble match, a 50-man Royal Rumble match where the winner received the Greatest Royal Rumble trophy and championship belt.[44][45] |
Cruiserweight Classic Finale | The culmination of a 32-man single-elimination tournament featuring competitors 205 lbs. and under (designated as cruiserweights) |
United Kingdom Championship Tournament | The event included a single-elimination tournament based around the United Kingdom Championship, featuring competitors from the United Kingdom and around the world. |
Mae Young Classic Finale | The culmination of a 32-woman single-elimination tournament. |
Evolution | Female-only event themed around WWE's various women's divisions.[46] |
Worlds Collide | The event was themed around interbrand competition between the NXT and NXT UK brands. The event previously included an interbrand single-elimination tournament.[47] |
Clash of Champions | Every active WWE championship available to Raw and SmackDown was defended.[48] |
TLC: Tables, Ladders & Chairs | At least one match was a Tables, Ladders, and Chairs match, while individual tables matches, ladder matches, and chairs matches would occasionally also take place.[49] The 2014 event was promoted as "TLC: Tables, Ladders, Chairs... and Stairs" and included a steel stairs match.[50] |
NXT WarGames | Featured the WarGames match |
Hell in a Cell | Featured the Hell in a Cell match[34] |