Report: WWE Made $1M on Bray Wyatt vs. LA Knight Pitch Black Match at Royal Rumble

WWE reportedly cashed in last weekend at the Royal Rumble premium live event by partnering with Mountain Dew for the Pitch Black match.

According to Dave Meltzer of Wrestling Observer Radio (h/t Felix Upton of Ringside News), WWE was paid $1 million for the Pitch Black match between Bray Wyatt and LA Knight by PepsiCo, which owns Mountain Dew and its Pitch Black flavor.

The match was heavily branded and advertised leading up to the Rumble, and it was among the most unique bouts in recent memory.

The entire match was wrestled with the lights out, but Wyatt and Knight could be seen by the live crowd in San Antonio and those watching on TV thanks to the glow-in-the-dark gear and paint they were wearing.

While the match was far from a technical masterclass, it was Wyatt's first televised match and win since returning to WWE in October.

Also, there was a key post-match angle that saw Uncle Howdy jump off a platform and onto Knight, seemingly signaling an alliance between Wyatt and Howdy.

Although fans have seemingly enjoyed the WWE product more collectively under the leadership of chief content officer Triple H since July, the quality of WWE programming has long been a divisive issue.

One thing that has been clear for several years, however, is that WWE is a money-making machine that continues to set new records of revenue and income on an annual basis.

On Thursday, WWE reported its earnings for 2022, and it set new records with $1.3 billion in revenue and $283.3 million in operating income, even when adjusting for inflation.

Since WWE is a hot brand that attracts major advertisers, it doesn't seem likely that WWE will shy away from branded matches in the future.

In fact, WWE Senior Vice President and Head of Global Sales and Partnerships Craig Stimmel told Alex Weprin of Hollywood Reporter this week that there are already plans in place for a sponsored match to occur at WrestleMania 39 in April.

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