WWE reported earlier this week that December’s Tables, Ladders & Chairs pay-per-view did around 170,000 buys, based on preliminary data. This number is a bit off from last year’s 179,000. What’s odd is the show is listed as doing 71,000 domestic buys and 99,000 foreign. This is a very low domestic number and possibly an error. Last year’s show did 98,000 domestic.
October’s Hell in a Cell pay-per-view, which featured Punk vs. Ryback in the main event (and no John Cena, due to injury) drew surpringly strong sales. The soft buyrate of TLC is actually somewhat of a good sign for WWE Champion CM Punk, who did not compete on the show due to injury.
CM Punk not wrestling on the show resulting in one of the worst buyrates of the year is another sign that Punk was a solid pay-per-view draw during his reign as champion and his matches are a big factor in whether fans will pay $40+ on a pay-per-view.
(Source: Wrestling Observer Newsletter)