User:OldSkool01/sandbox



This is a list of WWE pay-per-view and WWE Network events, detailing all professional wrestling cards promoted on pay-per-view (PPV) and the WWE Network by WWE.

WWE has been broadcasting pay-per-view events since the 1980s, when its classic "Big Four" events (Royal Rumble, WrestleMania, SummerSlam, and Survivor Series) were first established. The company's PPV lineup expanded to a monthly basis in the mid-1990s before expanding even further in the early-2000s. Aside from its standard monthly schedule, WWE produced additional international pay-per-views between 1997 and 2003. These events were not available in the United States and coincided with overseas tours in the United Kingdom. Following WWE's original brand extension in 2002, the company promoted two touring rosters representing its Raw and SmackDown television programs. The traditional "Big Four" continued to showcase the entire roster, while the remaining pay-per-views alternated between Raw and SmackDown cards. A special ECW PPV in 2005 led to the creation of an ECW brand in 2006, which also received its own dedicated pay-per-views. In March 2007, WWE announced that all subsequent pay-per-views would feature performers from all brands. In 2008 all WWE pay-per-views began broadcasting in high definition.

The company's pay-per-view business began to drastically change with the launch of the WWE Network on February 24, 2014. While most of the WWE events still air in many parts of the world on traditional pay-per-view channels, WWE's focus has shifted away from delivering their events on pay-per-view channels. Their main focus now is delivering all of the events on the WWE Network, including some that are exclusively on the Network. WWE has pushed the Network's launching price of $9.99 USD as a way to lure potential customers away from traditional pay-per-view which, on average, costs five to six times as much (in the United States) as the Network. The WWE Network also features the back catalog of WWE, WCW, and ECW pay-per-view events, as well as all WWE Network exclusive events from NXT Arrival onwards in their on-demand section. All WWE Network events that have aired since the launch of the Network have been broadcast in high-definition. Since the second brand extension in July 2016, brand-exclusive pay-per-views returned with only the "Big Four" as the only pay-per-views to feature both Raw and SmackDown brands. Just like the previous brand extension, brand exclusive pay-per-views ended after WrestleMania 34.

In addition to the WWE Network, WWE pay-per-views are still made available on traditional PPV outlets in the United States by In Demand. In Canada, WWE pay-per-views are available through (depending on service provider) Vu!, Shaw PPV, or SaskTel PPV, and can be seen in movie theatres in HD through selected locations of the Cineplex Entertainment chain. In Australia, WWE's pay-per-views are shown on Main Event. In the United Kingdom and Ireland, some pay-per-views are shown on Sky Sports 1 & 3 and others on Sky Sports Box Office. In India and South Asia, a single broadcaster (currently Sony TEN) generally holds the rights to all WWE programming, including pay-per-views, and they are broadcast for no additional charge.

Currently, WWE PPV events typically vary between 3 and a 1/2 hours to 4 hours in length, while WWE's WrestleMania events are approximately 5 hours to 5 and a 1/2 hours in length. WWE airs a pre-show before most Network events known as the Kickoff show. Each Kickoff show includes matches, interviews, and a panel of experts previewing the upcoming line-up. The Kickoff pre-show began as a 30-minute show before expanding to 1 hour, beginning with Night of Champions in September 2014. The "Big Four" Kickoff shows are the longest, at 2 hours. WWE occasionally airs a post-show after some Network events. Originally known as Fallout, and later known as Raw Talk and Talking Smack during the brand-only events, each post-show includes interviews and a panel of experts analyzing the event. The post-shows vary in length.

The NXT TakeOver events began at 2 hours in length before expanding to 2 and a 1/2 hours, beginning with TakeOver: Brooklyn in 2015, and sometimes 3 hours, beginning with TakeOver: New Orleans in 2018. Each TakeOver pre-show includes interviews and a panel of experts previewing the upcoming line-up. The TakeOver pre-shows are typically 30-minutes in length while some have been 1 hour, beginning with TakeOver: San Antonio in 2017. WWE also occasionally aired a post-show after TakeOver events known as TakeOver Fallout. Each TakeOver Fallout included interviews and a panel of experts analyzing the event. The Fallout post-shows varied in length.

1986

 * WrestleMania 2 was billed as one show, but emanated from three locations. Each match is listed as the main event for that venue's card. Hulk Hogan vs. King Kong Bundy was billed as the official main event.

2014
The WWE Network was launched on February 24, 2014. Every pay-per-view event from this point forward aired on both traditional PPV outlets and the WWE Network. However, beginning with NXT Arrival, several additional events began airing exclusively on the Network. The Network exclusives are noted below.

Number of events by year

 * 1985 – 2
 * 1986 – 1
 * 1987 – 2
 * 1988 – 3
 * 1989 – 5
 * 1990 – 4
 * 1991 – 5
 * 1992 – 4
 * 1993 – 5
 * 1994 – 5
 * 1995 – 10
 * 1996 – 12
 * 1997 – 13
 * 1998 – 13
 * 1999 – 14
 * 2000 – 14
 * 2001 – 14
 * 2002 – 14
 * 2003 – 13
 * 2004 – 14
 * 2005 – 15
 * 2006 – 16
 * 2007 – 15
 * 2008 – 14
 * 2009 – 14
 * 2010 – 13
 * 2011 – 13
 * 2012 – 12
 * 2013 – 12
 * 2014 – 16
 * 2015 – 21
 * 2016 – 21
 * 2017 – 25
 * 2018 – 23
 * 2019 – 9 (8 more confirmed)
 * 2020 – 0 ''(2 confirmed)


 * Total – 406 (10 more confirmed)

Most pay-per-view matches
These ten wrestlers have the most PPV matches (as of WrestleMania 35).
 * Only the actual pay-per-view matches are counted. No pre-show or dark matches.

Themed events
Many WWE events are thematic, centered on particular types of matches, or have an annually-recurring main-event. Most themed events (sans the "Big Four" pay-per-view events) are roughly treated like filler themed events to carry the audience until the next event dating back to the days when the In Your House system was used.