Backstage Report On WWE Enacting New WrestleMania Broadcast Policy In Las Vegas

A little more than two months remain until both nights of WrestleMania 42 hit Las Vegas, Nevada for a second straight year, and it seems there will be some changes compared to WrestleMania 41. One such change may involve WrestleMania watch parties in the Las Vegas area being put on the endangered list. Fightful Select reports that the distributor of WrestleMania broadcasts has informed several Vegas area establishments that they will be "unable to broadcast WrestleMania, even if they've paid a licensing fee." This edict, effectively a media blackout, will be in effect for areas within 50 miles of the event.

This is an unprecedented move, as watch parties of WrestleMania have become common events in the cities holding the event, with wrestlers even hosting the events in order to secure additional work. It was noted that several wrestlers had already agreed to host watch parties for WrestleMania 42, which would mean a loss of work. Those critical of this decision felt it went against one of the key reasons to hold WrestleMania in Vegas or any other city, as holding a watch party could attract tourists unable to attend WrestleMania properly.

The reasoning behind this move appears to be related to WrestleMania attendance, with the hope being that a blackout would cause more fans to attend the event. On Monday's "Wrestling Observer Radio," Dave Meltzer revealed that WrestleMania 42 ticket sales were at 36,000 for both Night One and Night Two, around 18% lower than WrestleMania 41 ticket sales this time last year. As a result, WWE has been making overhauls to the WrestleMania card, with plans for the big event said to be "up in the air," aside from the already announced Roman Reigns vs. CM Punk match.

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Read the original article on Wrestling Inc.