WWE ThunderDome was a bright innovation on the company’s part who tried to attract the audience by offering some variety. The pandemic situation caused a stiffness on the weekly shows which were randomly happening from the WWE Performance Center which is now known as the Capitol Wrestling Center in Orlando, Florida. Then the new set was introduced.
WWE established a glittering set at the Amway Center in Orlando, Florida that was named the ThunderDome. Superstars get WrestleMania-like entrances, each time they walked. The set also introduced virtual fans into attendance for the first time in opposition to The Performance Center where NXT trainees were used to be the crowd for a while.
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ThunderDome: Reason Why WWE Spent So Much For The Huge Set
From last August onward, ThunderDome has become a staple of WWE programming. The company spent a lot behind the introduction of the same and earned critic acclamation about it. They did have enough reasons for the same as Vince McMahon thought the monotonous situation at the PC was the main reason why the TV rating fell.
Stephanie McMahon recently took part at the Forbes CMO Summit Virtual Series. She reflected the same saying WWE’s declining TV rating during the pandemic. After going through a couple of failed attempts to improve, the company took decisions to change things for good. They finally partnered with The Famous Group to bring the ThunderDome concept to life.
“And without them [the fans], it’s just not the same. Our ratings fell off. We tried bringing in our developmental talent to see if that would help in terms of some type of audience but it just wasn’t enough, and ultimately we had hoped to be back in arenas in the Fall but when we realized that wasn’t gonna happen, we doubled-down and invested with a new partner called The Famous Group and we now have nearly one thousand virtual fans.”
WWE will bring the ThunderDome to the Tropicana Field now that their contract with the Amway Center will soon be over. Considering how bigger the venue is, the setup will take a bit longer to complete.
However, the outdoor stadium could present a unique experience to the whole programming after getting introduced. The concept of virtual fans will also remain intact for the time being until live fans get the entry.
