WWE’s expanded house show schedule is already drawing criticism, and Vince Russo and Jonathan Coachman are taking aim at the ticket prices.
While speaking on The Coach and Bro Show, Coachman said a close friend sent him a video showing prices for one of WWE’s upcoming house shows in Manchester, New Hampshire. Coachman noted that many of these new live events are being booked in smaller venues, which he believes is the right move, but the prices left him stunned.
“A very, very good friend of mine—one of my best friends in the world—sends me a video of the prices because one of these house shows we’re talking about is in Manchester, New Hampshire. The arena is not big enough for TV. A lot of these house shows they’ve announced, Vince, are smaller places—exactly where they should be running these.”
Coachman then said his friend, who has children, was looking at tickets and saw VIP packages listed at a huge price. He questioned why WWE would price non-televised events like major TV tapings.
“And he said—he’s got a couple kids—he’s looking at ticket prices for these house shows, and the rumors out there are… there are VIP packages for house shows. Don’t know what’s involved in them—$768. And to not have a VIP package, but just have a regular seat—not that close to the ring—Vince, I’m all for Paul Levesque and Nick Khan coming to this realization, but can they not talk to Ari Emanuel and say, ‘Ari, these should not be TV prices’?”
Russo agreed and argued that WWE should treat these house shows as a way to bring families back in, not another premium-priced product. He compared it to Costco keeping certain items cheap to get people through the door.
“Guys, here’s the deal with Costco. Costco has always said, ‘Here’s the deal—you go in, you get the whole chicken for $4.99. You go to the refreshment stand, you get the huge hot dog and a Coke for $1.50.’ Costco has always said those are loss leaders. We are never changing those prices. You’re going to get the chicken for $4.99. You’re going to get the hot dog and Coke for a buck fifty—and we’re going to lose money to get you in the door.”
Russo then said WWE should use these smaller house shows as its own “loss leader,” especially if the company’s stated goal is getting younger talent more reps.
“I am begging WWE to have one loss leader—one freaking loss. This should be the loss leader. If this is supposed to be what Nick Khan and Triple H are talking about, this should be the loss leader.”
Instead, Russo accused WWE of using the renewed house show schedule as another money-making avenue while fans pay high prices to watch younger talent gain experience. Russo then took aim at TKO, saying the company’s approach feels more focused on profit than the audience.
“But no—it’s not. They’re going to gouge people for tickets to go see NXT talent get reps in. Come on. At what point is your loss leader? Greedy. With TKO, it’s always ‘What’s in it for me?’ It’s never ‘What’s in it for the fan?’”
He stated that WWE had a chance to make these shows more affordable and rebuild interest at the local level, but instead, he believes the company is turning the talent-development argument into another revenue play.
“This should clearly be a loss leader. This is where you should charge reasonable prices for tickets—get the people back. But no—again, this is an opportunity where, ‘Well, we’re going to help the talent, they’re going to get more reps, they’ll be in front of people’—but it’s also another avenue for us to make more money.”
WWE recently expanded its summer 2026 live event schedule after Triple H and Nick Khan explained during a Town Hall meeting that house shows are important for giving younger wrestlers more in-ring reps. WWE also wants these events to let talent and producers test ideas away from television pressure while balancing experience with injury risk.
Russo and Coachman clearly do not have an issue with WWE running more house shows. Their problem is the pricing. If WWE wants these shows to help young talent and reconnect with local crowds, they believe the company should make them more affordable instead of charging premium-level prices.
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