WWE has released their latest batch of PPV buyrates at their corporate website.
WWE No Mercy, headlined by Vince McMahon vs. Stephanie McMahon, did roughly 200,000 buys. The WWE October PPV last year did roughly 300,000 buys. The WWE October PPV in 2001 did roughly 325,000 buys.
The second WWE Smackdown only PPV dropped 100,000 buys from the first.
The first WWE RAW only PPV did 325,000 buys, but the second RAW only PPV dropped to 260,000 buys.
WWE Summerslam in August did roughly 375,000 buys, way down from the roughly 500,000 buys that last year’s Summerslam (headlined by The Rock vs. Brock Lesnar for the WWE Title) did. Summerslam in 2001 did roughly 550,000 buys.
Just for reference, the WWE InVasion PPV in July of 2001 did roughly 775,000 buys and WrestleMania in March of 2002 did 850,000 buys. It has been pretty much down hill since then.
Here is a look at all the PPV buyrates for this year compared to last:
January ’03 – Royal Rumble: 500,000 buys (’02: 675,000 buys)
February ’03 – No Way Out: 450,000 buys (’02: 550,000 buys)
March ’03 – WrestleMania: 550,000 buys (’02: 850,000 buys)
April ’03 – Backlash: 375,000 buys (’02: 400,000 buys)
May ’03 – Judgment Day: 275,000 buys (’02: 375,000 buys)
June ’03 – Bad Blood RAW-only: 325,000 buys (’02: 325,000 buys)
July ’03 – Vengeance SD-only: 300,000 buys (’02: 375,000 buys)
August ’03 – Summerslam: 375,000 buys (’02: 500,000 buys)
September ’03 – Unforgiven RAW-only: 260,000 buys (’02: 300,000 buys)
October ’03 – No Mercy SD-only: 200,000 buys (’02: 300,000 buys)