WWE’s multiyear deal with Indianapolis is “one of the biggest sporting event announcements in the city's history,” according to James Briggs of the INDIANAPOLIS STAR. He wrote maybe "the biggest. Bigger than the Super Bowl. There, I said it.” WWE has “never awarded all three to a city as a package before.” Biggs wrote it is a “truly stunning coup for Indianapolis.” WrestleMania is "nothing like what it was" when Indianapolis last hosted it at the Hoosier Dome in 1992. For starters, Indianapolis' WrestleMania will include "two nights of action at Lucas Oil Stadium -- for double the attendance" -- with a "week of ancillary events, including a convention for fans." This year's WrestleMania in Philadelphia attracted an announced attendance of more than 145,000 over two nights. Briggs noted it is “impossible” to break down the WWE deal because financial terms were not disclosed. He wrote it is safe to say, though, that this package “will cost Indianapolis tens of millions of dollars ranging from incentives to security costs.” Briggs: “But you know what it won't cost? A new stadium.” Building new stadiums has “become a prerequisite for hosting a Super Bowl.” That is an “immense price to pay for a one-time event.” Briggs wrote the WWE deal is “better, not only because it's going to bring more people to town over multiple events in multiple years, but also because it shows Indianapolis continues to make the most of the venues in place.” Indianapolis' "first-of-its-kind package" of WWE's top events “offers yet another example of how this city never stops finding answers to what's next” (INDIANAPOLIS STAR, 6/24).
