AEW World's End 2025 PPV Buys
AEW World’s End 2025 PPV Buys & Attendance: A Financial Breakdown. While the in-ring action at AEW World’s End 2025 garnered critical acclaim, the business metrics surrounding the event paint an equally interesting picture. Returning to the Chicago area at the NOW Arena in Hoffman Estates, AEW looked to capitalize on one of its strongest markets.
Based on early data from the Wrestling Observer Newsletter (WON) and ticket tracking from WrestleTix, the event appears to be a significant commercial success, potentially marking the highest buyrate since All In.
Understanding the Metrics: What are “PPV Buys”?
Before diving into the numbers, it is important to understand what a “PPV Buy” represents. In the modern wrestling landscape, a PPV Buy refers to a single purchase of the event broadcast.
This includes:
- Traditional Linear TV: Ordering via cable or satellite providers (Comcast, DirecTV, etc.).
- Digital Streaming: Purchasing the event through platforms like TrillerTV (formerly FITE), Bleacher Report, or YouTube.
A “buy” is not the same as a viewer; a single buy could represent a household of five people or a watch party of twenty. The number of buys is critical because, outside of guaranteed TV rights fees (like the WBD deal), PPV revenue remains the largest generator of immediate cash flow for a major wrestling promotion.
Attendance: Nearly 10,000 Fans Pack NOW Arena
The Chicago market has always been faithful to AEW, and AEW World’s End 2025 was no exception. According to the final counts from WrestleTix, the demand was high enough that AEW opened up limited-view sections (100, 119, 200, 219) to accommodate the crowd.
- Total Setup: 9,054
- Tickets Distributed: 8,966
- Percent Sold: ~99%
- Available Tickets: 88
While the final distributed number is 8,966, with suite attendees and personnel, the building held nearly 10,000 people. This is a massive improvement over last year’s AEW World’s End in Orlando, which drew 7,005 fans.
Crucially, this event outperformed the most recent All Out (8,660) and crushed the Dynamite: Beach Break numbers (4,982) from earlier in 2025. It signifies that despite running the market frequently, AEW has maintained its stronghold in Illinois.
PPV Buys: Tracking for Best Numbers Since All In
According to Dave Meltzer in the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, early indicators suggest that AEW World’s End 2025 PPV Buys will land around 140,000.
Meltzer noted that this figure is currently tracking the same or slightly better than Full Gear. If the final digital numbers push this total higher, Worlds End would secure the highest buyrate for the company since All In at Wembley Stadium.
Why 140,000 is a Success
In the current media climate, stabilizing around 135k-140k buys is a strong position for AEW. It shows audience retention. The main event fatal four-way featuring MJF, Swerve, Hangman, and Joe, combined with the Continental Classic finals, clearly provided enough intrigue to convince the core audience to open their wallets.
Revenue Estimation: How Much Did AEW Make?
Determining the exact “Net Revenue” involves some estimation, but we can calculate a realistic range based on standard industry pricing and splits.
1. The Live Gate (Ticket Sales)
With 8,966 tickets distributed, we must account for comps (complimentary tickets for family/media), usually around 5-10%. Let’s assume 8,300 paid tickets.
- Lowest Standard Ticket: $37.95
- Premium Seats: $100 – $500+
- Estimated Average Ticket Price (ATP): Conservatively $65.
Estimated Gate: 8,300 tickets × $65 = **~$539,500**
(Note: Strong AEW PPV gates in arenas often range between $500k and $800k).
2. PPV Revenue (The Big Money)
The standard price for an AEW PPV in the US is **$49.99**. International prices vary but are generally lower ($20-$30).
- Total Buys: 140,000
- Gross Revenue: 140,000 × ~$45 (weighted avg) = **$6,300,000**
However, AEW does not keep 100% of this. Cable providers and digital platforms typically take a 45% to 50% cut.
- AEW’s Share (approx 50%): $3,150,000
3. Total Nightly Revenue
Combining the estimated gate and the PPV split:
- Gate: ~$540,000
- PPV Net: ~$3,150,000
- Total: ~$3.7 Million
This calculation does not include merchandise sales, which are notoriously high in Chicago, likely pushing the gross revenue for the evening closer to $4 Million.
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Conclusion
Financially, AEW World’s End 2025 was a home run. By drawing nearly 10,000 fans to the NOW Arena and maintaining a buyrate of 140,000, AEW proved that their end-of-year PPV model is sustainable and profitable. As the company heads into 2026, their ability to generate nearly $4 million in a single night outside of their TV contract demonstrates a healthy business model.
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