WWE Hall of Famer Jeff Jarrett discussed the news that TKO plans for WWE to cut back even more on its non-televised live events, often called house shows. On his “My World With Jeff Jarrett” podcast, he stated that while this makes business sense for a large company like WWE, it opens up significant chances for independent wrestling promotions.
“I think WWE or TKO, they’re going to run less house shows. But when one door closes, another one opens,” Jarrett said. “I think the opportunities for independent wrestling and other promotions are going to continue to grow and grow and grow.”
He explained that WWE, being a large company focused on big profits, finds it hard to make money in smaller markets. “Private equity, they’re all about the ROI period and a big outfit like WWE… they can’t roll into Jonesboro, Arkansas just to get in and out of town. They got a gross 150,000… maybe more… So the margins just aren’t there,” Jarrett noted. “But for another promotion, there’s a lot of be lots of money to be made in, I’ll say, even B and C and D markets… that presents opportunities for others in the industry.” He believes this trend will help independent wrestling become even more important for developing talent.
