Benzinga | May 21, 2021 10:05AM EDT

WWE To Resume Live Event Touring In July

For the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted operations, World Wrestling Entertainment Inc (NYSE:WWE) is resuming its live event touring schedule with three shows in Texas scheduled for July.

What Happened: The company announced it will host a "SmackDown" show on July 16 at the Toyota Center in Houston, a "Money in the Bank" event at Dickies Arena in Fort Worth on July 18 and a "Raw" extravaganza at American Airlines Center in Dallas on July 19.

These will be the start of a 25-city schedule that will run through Labor Day, with additional venues and dates to be announced later. Tickets for the Texas shows will go on sale on May 26 and 11 a.m. EDT.

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Why It Matters: WWE continued to produce shows during the pandemic, albeit without live audiences.

The absence of live events impacted the Stamford, Connecticut-headquartered company's operations. In its first-quarter earning report, WWE recorded $263.5 million in revenue, down by $27.5 million or 9% from one year earlier, which the company blamed on the absence of live events in the U.S. and overseas and with the associated loss of merchandise sales tied to these happenings.

During the first quarter of 2020, 41 live WWE events were held across North America before the pandemic lockdowns occurred. The company was able to continue its broadcasting endeavors when Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis ruled in April 2020 that WWE's professional wrestling bouts constitute an essential business within the state's response to COVID-19, thus enabling it to continue production at its facility in Orlando.

(WWE stars Roman Reigns and Cesaro in action. Photo courtesy WWE.)