One week after a viral clip showed a fan confronting WWE president Nick Khan over rising ticket costs, TKO executives made it clear that prices are only heading higher. Speaking at the Goldman Sachs Communacopia & Technology Conference, TKO chief operating officer Mark Shapiro revealed that WWE is still behind UFC when it comes to ticket yield and that the company intends to close that gap.

“WWE is not where the UFC yet is on ticket yield. We have our work to do there,” Shapiro said, adding that Vince McMahon had long kept ticket prices family-friendly rather than focusing on maximum revenue. “Now that we’ve seen what we can do with UFC, we’re replicating that in terms of ticket yield and holding back and advance sales when it comes to OnLocation on the WWE side and it’s working out really well.”

Ticket yield, a term also used in the airline and concert industries, refers to the average revenue generated per ticket sold, with the aim of moving all inventory at the highest possible value. WWE’s live event and hospitality revenue hit $185.7 million in the second quarter, up $41.4 million year over year, with WrestleMania 41 and Night of Champions contributing to the increase.

Shapiro has frequently spoken about the “tremendous upside” of raising ticket prices, pointing to UFC’s record-breaking event at Chicago’s United Center as an example. He also confirmed that site fees remain a major part of TKO’s strategy, explaining that cities must sell out UFC numbered events and WWE premium live events before the company considers expanding to UFC Fight Nights, Raw, or SmackDown.

The COO said discussions are ongoing with Atlanta, Charlotte, Detroit, London, and Paris, noting that “there are no shortage of countries… that want to see us bring our show to town.” He stressed that while in-kind deals are welcome, “the most important to me is cash. Cash kills.”

Shapiro also issued a direct message to cities that want repeat business. Using UFC Fight Nights as an example, he stated: “If we have a St. Louis going up against a Des Moines, Iowa, and you want us back there and you’ve broken records and sold out both your arenas, you have to pay for us to come back or else we’ll take it to another town. And that goes for NXT, Raw and SmackDown on the WWE side.”

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