WrestleMania 41 was WWE’s most-watched and highest-grossing event ever

Viewership for the flagship wrestling showcase more than doubled from last year.

4/23/25 10:40AM

The 41st annual WrestleMania event took place in Las Vegas over two nights on the weekend, with WWE legend-turned-actor John Cena crowned world champion for a 17th time — more than anyone else in WWE history — after pinning opponent Cody Rhodes with some help from, er, Travis Scott.

While Cena will be glad to have scooped one final belt before he retires from wrestling for good, WWE itself, which has sat in the wider TKO Group corporate stable alongside UFC since 2023, will also be basking in Sunday night’s glory...

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According to WWE, WrestleMania 41 set an all-time record for revenue, with on-site merchandise sales up more than 45% from the previous year and e-commerce revenue up 86%, making it the company’s highest-grossing event ever. It was also WWE’s most-watched event of all time: the live stadium matchups brought almost 125,000 fans through the gates over both nights and viewership was up 114% from 2024 across streaming partners Peacock and Netflix.

World Wrestling Entertainment, which has roots as far back as 1953, when Vincent J. McMahon founded the Capitol Wrestling Corporation, penned a $5 billion deal with Netflix last January to make the platform a major international home for livestreamed events like WrestleMania. Since then, WWE’s live events division has boomed, accounting for nearly $340 million in revenue in 2024, almost 3x the amount recorded just two years prior.

Still, media deals accounted for the majority (62%) of WWE’s knockout $1.4 billion annual revenue last year — and with Peacock’s streaming deal with the brand set to expire next March, the heavyweight figures are only likely to add strength to the wrestling company’s position in renewal discussions.

Cut above the wrestle… On the business side, TKO Group has also upped the ante on sponsorship. Per WWE, WrestleMania 41 featured a record 28 partners in total, and sponsorship brought in $83 million in revenue last year.

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Starbucks issues apology after viral “Bearista” cup meltdown

Holiday cheer turned into chaos this week for Starbucks after the coffee giant’s new “Bearista” holiday cup sent fans into a frenzy.

Dropped alongside its 2025 holiday menu, the $30 beanie-wearing glass bear tumbler sparked long lines, sellouts, and even in-store scuffles before Starbucks stepped in with an apology.

“The excitement for our merchandise exceeded even our biggest expectations,” the company said in a statement to People. “Despite shipping more Bearista cups to our coffeehouses than almost any other item this holiday season, the Bearista cup and some other items sold out fast.”

Within hours of launch, frustrated fans flooded Starbucks’ social media pages and even store hotlines. Some customers waited in line before dawn and others said their stores received only a handful of cups. In one Houston location, the craze even turned physical, with police reportedly called to break up a brawl. Meanwhile, the cup is already reselling on sites like eBay, with listings topping $600.

“We understand many customers were excited about the Bearista cup and apologize for the disappointment this may have caused,” Starbucks said. While in-store customers may be upset, investors seem happy about the viral hit, as the stock has risen over 3% on Friday.

If you’re still hoping for a Bearista at market price, that may not be on order: the chain didn’t disclose how many cups were made or whether a restock is planned.

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Target tells workers to smile, wave, and greet shoppers if they come within 10 feet of them

Target just rolled out a new rule for store employees: “smile, make eye contact, and greet or wave” when a shopper comes within 10 feet — and if they get closer, within four feet, “ask whether they need help or how their day is going,” according to a new Bloomberg report.

Dubbed the “10-4 program” internally, the rule mirrors rival Walmart’s own 10-foot policy, formalizing behavior Target had previously only encouraged.

Target Mandates Worker Smiles, Friendliness to Boost Sales

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Monster surges on energy drink buzz, while Celsius sinks on distribution concerns

Shares of Monster Beverage climbed 5% after the bell on Thursday, and held most of those gains into early trading on Friday, following strong Q3 results.

The energy drink giant topped market expectations, with quarterly sales up 17% year over year to $2.2 billion and adjusted net profits growing 41% to $524.5 million — 11% ahead of Wall Street’s estimates. In the report, Monster highlighted its zero-sugar line and new product launches, with a stack of novel flavors already released this year, as bright spots.

During a call with analysts, Chief Executive Hilton Schlosberg said that the global energy drink category “remains healthy with robust growth,” The Wall Street Journal reported, adding that demand for more affordable caffeinated drinks is rising as coffee has become “really expensive.”

Meanwhile, rival beverage business Celsius saw shares fall as much as 23% on its Q3 results yesterday — despite beating expectations, with revenue jumping 173% — largely due to concerns about a change in the company’s distribution channel, as its newly acquired Alani Nu brand joins the PepsiCo distribution network.

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