By MICHELLE CHAPMAN AP Business Writer
Just days away, WWE is gearing up for this year’s SummerSlam, which promises to bring lots of action – and sponsorships. The premium live event will have 12 total sponsors and six sponsorships for matches, both records for a non-WrestleMania premium live event.
Sponsorship revenue is also booming, surging more than 60% compared with last year’s SummerSlam, according to the sports entertainment company.
That SummerSlam, held at Ford Field in Detroit, brought in $7 million in sponsorship revenue, up 23% compared with 2022.
This year’s SummerSlam, which will include Cody Rhodes facing off against Solo Sikoa, will be held on Saturday at the Cleveland Browns Stadium. Among those with a match sponsorship will be Slim Jim meat snacks, which is in the second year of its partnership with WWE. Slim Jim will also receive match sponsorships at four future WWE premium live events.
Wingstop, a restaurant chain, will serve as a presenting partner for the event. Wingstop’s partnership includes two corner mat signage placements, which is the first time in WWE’s history that the ring canvas will feature this exclusive branding.
Other SummerSlam sponsors will include C4, Manscaped, Wheatley, Mike’s Hard Lemonade, Riot Games, Verizon Straight Talk and Prime, the beverage brand of YouTube stars Logan Paul and KSI that struck a deal with WWE in March.
“SummerSlam has become a premier destination for brands craving engagement and exposure to large, loyal audiences during the summer months,” Grant Norris-Jones, executive vice president and head of global partnerships for TKO, said in a statement. “Like WrestleMania, SummerSlam continues to grow in scale and popularity, allowing our partners to activate in new and unique ways across multiple mediums.”
Randal Konik of Jefferies said in a recent analyst note that there seems to be ample opportunity for management at WWE’s parent company TKO Group to drive significant sponsorship growth for WWE over the next several years.
“Given management’s success with driving significant sponsorship growth at the UFC, we would expect them to leverage a similar playbook to capitalize upon the growing sponsorship opportunity available to them at the WWE,” he wrote.
While WWE recently added ring mat sponsorship with Prime, Konik noted that the company has also added digital screens to the corners of the ring, giving it more opportunities to boost brand visibility.