(Source: Business Wire)
World Wrestling Entertainment® announced today that The 25th
Anniversary of WrestleMania generated a $49.8 million dollar
economic windfall for the greater Houston area, according to a study
conducted by the Enigma Research Corporation. Despite one of the biggest
economic downturns in recent history, local and state governments
collected $5.7 million in taxes. This follows the $51.5 million of
economic impact WrestleMania XXIV brought to Orlando.
"Having the opportunity to host The 25th
Anniversary of WrestleMania was a huge honor and success," said Greg
Ortale, President and CEO of the Greater Houston Convention & Visitor's
Bureau. "The direct expenditure demonstrates that WrestleMania is
indeed economically on par with the world's greatest sports and
entertainment offerings."
"Our overarching goal with our public and private sector partners is to
consistently provide positive economic impact for WrestleMania's
host communities and establish a lasting pro-social legacy, "said John
P. Saboor, Senior Vice President of Special Events for World Wrestling
Entertainment.
A capacity crowd of 72,744 from all 50 states, 24
countries and seven Canadian provinces attended the pop culture
extravaganza. Key highlights from the study included:
$49.8 million of direct, indirect and induced impact derived from
spending by non-locals visiting specifically for The 25th
Anniversary of WrestleMania, equating to 600 full time jobs for
the area.
During WrestleMania Week, 86% of out of state, overnight
visitors who came in for the festivities, stayed in local
Houston area hotels. 67% stayed for three nights or more.
Nearly 75% of fans that came to The 25th
Anniversary of WrestleMania from outside of Houston traveled by
air.
23% of the fans that came from out of state were from California and
New York.
Nearly 65% of the fans that attended were between the ages of 10 and
34.
Next year, WrestleMania XXVI will take place March 28, 2010 from
University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, AZ. Tickets go on sale
Saturday, November 7 at 10 AM MT through the University of Phoenix
Stadium box office, all Ticketmaster outlets, www.ticketmaster.com,
or charge by phone at 1-800-745-3000. The event will be broadcast live
on pay-per-view, and viewed in more than 100 countries.
Enigma Research Corporation is an international consulting firm which
specializes in measuring the economic impact of special events.
