WWE Reports Record 2nd Quarter Earnings for 2018
Smells good, don't it? Vince McMahon getting a whiff of all of those delicious smelling hundred dollar bills. Courtesy of the WWE.
By Matthew Klink (@klinkmatt)
July 27, 2018
If anyone argues that Vince McMahon doesn't know how to run a business...well...none of us could rightly argue because no one knows whats going on behind closed doors. But what we do know is that the WWE is making major bucks and the decision making process is definitely not going to change.
The WWE announced their 2nd Quarter earnings in a shareholder meeting where the largest increase year to year and revenue total was disclosed. The WWE increased revenues by 31% to $281 Million, again, according to the WWE in their shareholders meeting. The biggest push is alleged to be from the Greatest Royal Rumble over the spring. While not without controversy (just ask the women in the locker room) the show was definitely a high earner. In the shareholder talks, the WWE could not legally speak to an exact number earned from this event, but the estimates are around $40 Million (compared to the $14 Million earned at WrestleMania).
While this bodes well for the WWE and their employees, it does cause one's mind to wander. What does this mean for the talent? How much more wrestling will we have to watch next year? Where is all of this money going to go?
I think its clear that the WWE loves the direction they are going (with Brock Lesnar in the picture or not) and the money they could be looking to earn by expanding even further (globally) means there is absolutely no reason for the WWE to want to pivot.
These numbers are clear indicators that if you're hoping for a change in WWE programming, booking of specific wrestlers, or an overhaul in creative, you're definitely barking up the wrong tree. That's not too say they won't make the decision on their own, should they want to pivot for pivot sake (or for PR sake), but any sort of boycott or change in your viewing habits has not hurt their revenue dollars...even a little bit.
The good news is that the WWE definitely has the funds to keep guys like AJ Styles, Shinsuke Nakamura, and Daniel Bryan on the roster. While I'm sure money won't be everything for these guys, you won't be able to say that the WWE didn't have enough to offer. And don't forget: all of these guys are family guys. When you look around the world of pro wrestling, not many companies can offer the stability and consistency that the WWE can. If you were looking for a gravy train to jump on, just look to these earnings. Let's hope they throw the checkbook at these guys and they (AJ, Nakamura, and Bryan) actually like it in the WWE.
Also, look out for more shows like the Greatest Royal Rumble and the big one coming to Australia, Super Show-Down. There are so many places around the world that have untapped markets or markets that haven't been fully utilized. Some of the matured markets (markets like the United States and the UK) don't offer much growth. But China, Brazil, and India are looking to spend some money somewhere. Why not the WWE? If successful, the WWE may finally choose to bring along their story lines for the ride as well (since the Greatest Royal Rumble just turned into throw away programming).
Overall, if you're a fan of the company, as I am, then this is great news. We always worry about whether the WWE is going to still be around five, ten, or even twenty years down the line. The deals with FOX and now these quarterly numbers tell us that we, at the very least, don't have to worry for the next five years.
If you're not a fan of the product (not sure why you're reading this) and you were hoping for a change of direction, look elsewhere my friend.
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