WrestleMania(R) Makes Record $62 Million for Atlanta

STAMFORD, Conn., Oct 24, 2011 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- WWE(R) announced today that WrestleMania XXVII generated $62.1 million in economic impact for the city of Atlanta, according to a study conducted by the Enigma Research Corporation.

This is a new record for WrestleMania's economic impact, and a $17 million increase over WrestleMania XXVI. WrestleMania XXVII also generated approximately $7.8 million in local, state and county taxes.

"We are proud to have partnered with an organization that not only helped significantly contribute to the economy of Atlanta, but also gave back to the community in a multitude of ways," said Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed. "WrestleMania Week brought tens of thousands of fans from across the world to our great city and furthered Atlanta's reputation as one of the sports and entertainment capitals of the world. We look forward to the possibility of hosting a future WrestleMania."

"WWE is thrilled that the city of Atlanta and the great state of Georgia were the recipients of the largest economic windfall to date for WrestleMania," said John P. Saboor, Senior Vice President of Special Events for WWE. "We would like to thank Mayor Reed and all of the public and private sector partners in Atlanta for embracing WWE and our worldwide fans, and for helping create an exceptional outcome for WrestleMania XXVII."

A capacity crowd of 71,617 fans from all 50 states and 30 countries attended WWE's pop culture extravaganza this past April. Key highlights from the study included:

-- $62.1 million of direct, indirect and induced impact derived from spending by non-locals visiting specifically for WrestleMania XXVII.

-- 75% of fans that attended WrestleMania were from outside the Atlanta area, with 61% staying three nights or more.

-- The economic impact derived from WrestleMania Week equated to the creation of 621 full-time jobs for the area.

-- 52% of fans that attended WrestleMania were between the ages of 20 and 34, 21% were under the age of 20 and 20% were between the ages of 35 and 49.

"WrestleMania XXVII was a tremendous success and provided a positive financial impact on metro Atlanta," said Dan Corso, Atlanta Sports Council Executive Director. "This is a noteworthy example of our city's collaborative ability to recruit and successfully host major sporting events, and it hopefully bodes well for securing a future WrestleMania."

Next year, WrestleMania XXVIII will take place Sunday, April 1 at Sun Life Stadium in Miami, FL. The main event will feature John Cena(R) taking on The Rock(R) in an epic encounter. The event will be broadcast on pay-per-view, and viewed in more than 100 countries. Tickets go on sale Saturday, November 5 at 10 AM EST through all Ticketmaster outlets, www.ticketmaster.com or by calling 1-800-745-3000.

Enigma Research Corporation is an international consulting firm which specializes in measuring the economic impact of special events. Enigma's economists developed a customized model which converted expenditures into economic impact, employment created and taxes generated as a result of the event.