The debate about the SuperBowl being superior to Wrestlemania and vice-versa has been a discussion that has been going on for decades upon decades. With the most favoured view being that the American Football showcase outdoes its Wrestling counterpart every year.
Many Americans share this view and frankly, many wrestling fans share it too. However, it's finally time to dispel the myths around both events and lay out the concrete facts.
SuperBowl 51 just passed and fans aren’t talking about how good or spectacular it was, they're thinking about how Wrestlemania will inevitably top it. From a business standpoint it's always good to have competition but when we delve into the actual logic of the debate, it's clear one event is certainly bigger & better than the other.
Here are five reasons why Wrestlemania is bigger & better than the SuperBowl.
#5 More action, fewer commercials
Perhaps the biggest and most prominent selling point of the SuperBowl is the commercials. Companies & movie promotions pay within the realms of $5 million for a 30-second slot at the event.
Reports have shown that the halftime show and commercial's presentation are often the two most watched segments of the entire NFL season, now what does that say about SuperBowl. On the other hand, Wrestlemania is all about the action. It's about the cementing of legacies, creating new stars and the formation of history.
Fans know that when they tune into Wrestlemania they're getting what they paid for, wrestling on the grandest stage of them all. Yes, Vince has invited special guests to perform in the past but only as a stop-gap to give wrestlers time to prepare.
The musicians are not advertised as the heart of the show, the wrestlers are. On Sunday night/Monday morning it wasn't the New England Patriots or the Atlanta Falcons trending on social media, it was the fact that Lady Gaga jumped off a stage. The football wasn't the main talking point. Next.
#4 Wrestlemania isn't the end of the season, it's the start
The SuperBowl is the culmination of a season in the NFL, Wrestlemania is the be all and end all of the wrestling world. It puts to bed year-long feuds and writes the next chapter for the following year. Wrestlemania never stops, all year round matches are planned with Wrestlemania in mind.
Once the SuperBowl stops that's it, the American Football community just swan off into the sunset, while the WWE Superstars begin the next road to Wrestlemania by touring Europe the following week.
Wrestlemania is an annual event not in terms of being shown once a year, in the sense that it has implications for the rest of the year. All year round speculations and rumours run wild at the thought of Wrestlemania, why? Because the event encapsulates the WWE universe for the WHOLE year, not one night.
#3 Wrestlemania is worldwide
A worldwide phenomenon and a show catered for a global audience, Wrestlemania is the epitome of keeping the whole world entertained at one time. Wrestlemania as of now is ready to be aired in 175 countries, the SuperBowl was only available in 150.
You only have to look at the several commentator tables present at a WWE PPV to know the show is being broadcasted in several languages to cater to the interest.
In terms of physical global reach, the WWE tour all corners of the world, whereas the NFL only have limited dates in Wembley Stadium once a year. As a global company with a multicultural roster, they appeal to every continent on the planet. Vince has capitalised on his product's worldwide fame by ensuring all nationalities are represented on the card.
Whenever people think of Wrestlemania they think of a spectacle organised for the globe, the SuperBowl just screams an American theatre performance, exclusively for Americans.
#2 Wrestlemania is for everyone not just two sets of fans
At Wrestlemania, everybody gets to see their favourite Superstars in some sort of capacity. At the SuperBowl, fans of non-participating teams must sit and endure a final between two teams they have limited interest in. Wrestlemania encompasses everybody's best interests at heart and puts on a spectacle for all demographics with different taste.
Fans also know that Wrestlemania is the show of shows, therefore they know they'll be enjoying the WWE's best go toe to toe, in the SuperBowl, it's subjective as to who's the best depending on your preference of style.
#1 Best for business
Instead of me just waffling on, let's crunch some numbers. When we study the past five Wrestlemanias in comparison to the past five SuperBowls, we can see huge disparities in economic influence. Over the past 5 years, Wrestlemania has drawn 20,000 more people in attendance figures than the SuperBowl.
In terms of revenue, two of the last three Wrestlemanias have generated more revenue than the SuperBowl of that year. Starting to notice a pattern? Wrestlemania on average also generates $8m more for host cities than the SuperBowl does.
When we look at the social media analytics, the disparities continue to widen. The face of the company John Cena has more Facebook fans than any NFL footballer or NFL team. On YouTube, the WWE has more YouTube subscribers than the NFL and MLB channels combined, they're literally from different planets.
The SuperBowl's only advantage over Wrestlemania is that it's shown for free on television, whereas the WWE present their show as a PPV. Even with that advantage, it’s debatable as to whether more people watch the SB or WM.
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