WrestleMania Promos Take Over Texas
A week of BBQ and bodyslams has wrapped up as World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) presented WrestleMania 32 – professional wrestling's annual promo-filled Super Bowl inside AT&T Stadium in Arlington, TX.
An all-time WWE attendance record of 101,763 people from 50 states and 35 countries made the pilgrimage to witness their favorite athletes clash at the nearly seven-hour event. "On behalf of the Dallas Cowboys organization, we congratulate WWE on their historic achievement," said Dallas Cowboys Chief Brand Officer Charlotte Jones Anderson in a press release. "WrestleMania was an incredible spectacle like none other, and we look forward to hosting it again at AT&T Stadium."
WrestleMania 32 also became the highest-grossing live event in WWE history, grossing $17.3 million. The record was set last year, as WrestleMania 31 in Santa Clara, CA, grossed $12.6 million. It also generated $139 million in economic impact for the Santa Clara/San Jose area; $22 million of which was spent on hotels and accommodations. That's why cities bid on hosting the pop culture extravaganza each year – Orlando has been chosen over Philadelphia and Minneapolis to hold WrestleMania 33 next year.
"We are thrilled that we made history tonight at WrestleMania, further cementing its place as one of the top sports and entertainment events in the world," said WWE Chief Brand Officer Stephanie McMahon.
As soon as fans arrived at Dallas/Ft. Worth International Airport, they were greeted by WrestleMania signs and life-size WWE Superstar cutouts at baggage claim and rental car stations. Even the streets of downtown Dallas were plastered in WrestleMania banners showcasing top stars such as The Rock and John Cena. StubHub handed out free lanyards with plastic pouches to securely hold tickets to the event while fans scooped up hats, shirts, wristbands and posters emblazoned with the WrestleMania and WWE logos.
Throughout the week, fans mobbed the Kay Bailey Hutchinson Convention Center in Dallas for WrestleMania Axxess, an annual fan fest with autograph signings, exhibits and merchandise. Snickers sponsored the event, giving out free candy bars and sharing clips through social media and YouTube. During the WrestleMania broadcast, an ad featured WWE Hall of Famer Ric Flair and WWE Superstars Charlotte and Zack Ryder as part of the "You're Not You When You're Hungry" campaign.