Based on the work by Lavie Margolin, 2019 was a great year for attendance for some popular US promotions. Check out the graphics below along with some analysis from Lavie:
ROH:
Ring of Honor should have had an easy win (record total attendance and record average attendance) with a co-promoted MSG sellout but did so poorly at the gate after MSG (and wasn’t doing great prior to that), it missed the mark on both potential milestones. 2020 is looking ugly for that promotion if it does not pick things up. In terms of ROH, this would be its third biggest attendance overall (2018, 2017) and third highest average (2018, 2017). This is also only the 3rd time it has averaged over 1,000k for the year. Considering the MSG show, this has to be a huge disappointment.
NJPW USA:
New Japan USA’s yr=mixed bag .Bumpy start w. visa issues+sub 1,000k atten. Selling 4k tickets in Dallas. Own swing in former ROH venues Lowell, NYC and Philly (with 2 sellouts & Lowell outdrew any ROH show in venue w. 2,130). 2 Cali shows not included-‘free’ with convention attendance. New Japan USA’s year was a mixed bag as it expands. Its year got off to a bumpy start with visa issues and sub 1,000 attendances (although Charlotte was considered a sellout due to configuration). The aforementioned MSG sellout was historic and New Japan came out of it with positive momentum but did not capitalize. Selling only 4,000 tickets in Dallas was considered a disappointment. Most notably, but not officially, the promotion seemed to break away from ROH and even did its own swing in former ROH venues in Lowell, New York City and Philadelphia (with two sellouts and while Lowell did not sell out, it outdrew any ROH show in that venue with 2,130). The last two California shows of the year were not included as they were ‘free’ with attendance at a convention.
AEW:
5,593 (or lower, based on some alternative #’s and the AEW press release) is the average attendance for Dynamite tapings alone.
MLW:
MLW showed some strong signs of growth. While a co-promoted show in Mexico skews the number higher and some confusion regarding reporting of Melrose Ballroom capacity/attendance lingers, the promotion is definitely picking up momentum in 2020.