WWE adds France to list of international locations hosting PLEs, which also includes Germany and Australia next year

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WWE announced today that WWE Backlash next May will emanate from France at LDLC Arena in Lyon-Decines, France. Smackdown the night before will also take place in the arena.

The May 3 and May 4 events will be the first-ever PPV/PLE event and first-ever Smackdown to take place in France.

This continues WWE’s decision to bring PLE events to international markets. In past decades, the need to run PPVs both live and in the evening on Sundays locked WWE into U.S. and Canada locations. Now that the events are available on Peacock, a different timeslot doesn’t directly change the revenue earned from the event. Fans can watch live at a different time or delay-watch the events in the evening. With the streaming set-up, fans pay a flat fee for access on Peacock and there’s no “decision” the day of the event to spend $50 to watch, where the timeslot of the event would be a key to that decision.

WWE benefits from the increased awareness of the product in other countries, the bigger ticket revenue due to the novelty of a “big event” landing in these countries, and the prestige of framing WWE to fans and corporate sponsors and partners as a truly international brand.

WWE is bringing Elimination Chamber to Australia next February and Bash in Berlin to Germany next August. They’ve also run live PLEs in Puerto Rico, the Untied Kingdom, and Saudi Arabia.

The following is the full press release issued to PWTorch today…

FRANCE TO HOST FIRST-EVER WWE PREMIUM LIVE EVENT

WWE BACKLASH FRANCE IN MAY 2024

LDLC Arena in Lyon-Decines, France, will host SmackDown on Friday, May 3, 2024, and WWE Backlash France on Saturday, May 4, 2024

STAMFORD, Conn., November 16, 2023 – WWE, part of TKO Group Holdings (NYSE: TKO), today announced that WWE Backlash France will be the first-ever WWE Premium Live Event to be held in France, emanating from the LDLC Arena in Lyon-Decines on Saturday, May 4, 2024.

Additionally, SmackDown will emanate from the LDLC Arena on Friday, May 3, 2024, marking the first time SmackDown will broadcast from France.

Fans interested in an exclusive SmackDown and WWE Backlash France combo presale opportunity can register now at https://www.wwe.com/backlash-2024-presale.

Additionally, Priority Pass ticket packages will soon be available from On Location, offering fans the chance to be ringside for every exhilarating moment including premium seating, pre-show hospitality with WWE Superstar appearances, ringside photo opportunities, exclusive merchandise and more. To learn more about Priority Passes, please visit https://onlocationexp.com/backlash.

Other artists set to hold major events at the LDLC Arena in Lyon-Decines, France, in the coming months include Sting, Jonas Brothers and Green Day. The news also follows the announcement of Bash In Berlin taking place at the Mercedes-Benz Arena in Berlin, Germany, on Saturday, August 31, 2024.

Backlash 2023, held earlier this year at the Coliseo de Puerto Rico José Miguel Agrelot in San Juan, Puerto Rico, became WWE’s highest-grossing and most-viewed Backlash in company history.

Additional information will be announced in the coming weeks. To learn more please visit www.wwe.com.

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