Headlined by Brock Lesnar vs. Triple H, WWE Summerslam delivered more good news for WWE in the pay-per-view buyrate department.
Initial estimates say the August flagship garnered 350,000 buys, which marks a steep increase over last year’s 301,000. The number is basically on par with figures for 2010 and 2009.
As the Wrestling Observer Newsletter correctly notes, proof of the Brock Lesnar impact lies in the fact that the show did especially well in North America. Its increase was entirely due to stronger performance in North America; this year’s show, in fact, actually did significantly worse internationally than the 2011 edition (86,000 buys, compared to 131,000 last year).
Since Lesnar is a far bigger name domestically than he is overseas, the buyrate breakdown suggests Lesnar’s presence made the most notable impact.