WWE is continuing its global expansion, with company President Nick Khan announcing that a Premium Live Event will be held in Italy in “early” 2026. The news came during a discussion at the IMG x RedBird Summit, where Khan spoke about the company’s strategy of taking its biggest shows to international markets.
During the conversation, Khan touted the success WWE has found by taking its PLEs outside of the United States, noting significant increases in both attendance and viewership for these global shows. “Almost half of our Premium Live Events take place outside of the United States now. We believe WWE is a global property, we believe the results on these shows, both in terms of attendance and viewership (locally and globally) have been significant. We have seen year-over-year increases for viewership on each one,” Khan said.
The move is part of a larger strategy that has seen the company hold major events in locations such as France for Backlash, Australia for Elimination Chamber, and Germany for Bash in Berlin, all of which drew large crowds. WWE has already tested the Italian market for a major broadcast, having held an episode of Friday Night SmackDown in Bologna, Italy, on the road to WrestleMania 41 earlier this year.
Elsewhere in his discussion, Khan revealed just how far in advance the company is planning its schedule, stating that major WWE events are “booked out through WrestleMania 2027,” with that year’s WrestleMania set to take place in Saudi Arabia. While a specific city for the 2026 Italy event has not yet been announced, WWE has already confirmed several other domestic and international locations for its upcoming PLEs.
The road to WrestleMania 42 will begin at the 2026 Royal Rumble, which is scheduled to take place at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. Following that, WrestleMania 42 will emanate from Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, Nevada.
H/T to SportsBusiness for the transcription
