Andrew Ravens
Cody Rhodes has shed light on the broader strategy behind WWE‘s European touring schedule, revealing that the live events being run across the continent are partly intended to measure audience interest and identify cities capable of hosting a future Premium Live Event.
Speaking in a new vlog covering WWE’s latest European tour, Rhodes addressed what the company is learning from its time on the road in Europe and what is really driving the expanded presence across multiple countries.
“It’s a lot of work, but when you’re actually on the tour, you find yourself wanting more tour, and you can tell this is a good one because I think everyone here wants to kind of keep going,” Rhodes said. “There’s a couple guys here who are used to this base, and then there’s people who are completely not used to it, and it’s fun to see them get with it, and it’s a reminder for us how we used to. But I mean, the whole thing’s different because when you’re in a new country, that’s a different responsibility. I think we’ve done really well by all the cities we’ve gone to, particularly feeling them and touching them and having that moment with them individually.”
Rhodes then addressed what he described as an open secret about the purpose behind these events.
“Well, I think the biggest takeaway is it’s not a secret that some of these events are potentially to gauge places that WWE can go with a bigger setup, with a bigger show. A PLE like Clash, for example. I don’t think that’s a secret anymore, especially over here, these countries, to a degree, in a very positive manner, have been competing with each other on who’s the loudest. We get the sound meter, the decibel level, and what city could potentially this next big PLE be in. I think that it’s fun to be here on the ground when we’re first going to play, like Portugal yesterday, first going to places that we haven’t been in a long, long time, to see what the love is there, what the levels are. It’s a tribute to what WWE has become. Universally, there hasn’t been a place we’ve gone that hasn’t been losing their mind.”
WWE has hosted several Premium Live Events in Europe in recent years under the Clash banner, including events in Cardiff, Glasgow, Paris, and most recently Turin. Each of those shows has been surrounded by a broader tour of television tapings and house shows across the continent.
