tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-79642622024-03-17T23:03:12.702-04:00KLQ.:News Wrestling and Triple H:. | Longest Running Triple H FansiteAnything and Everything about the Cerebral Assassin - Triple H. News on Professional Wrestling and the Independent CircuitKaliqo~http://www.blogger.com/profile/16883827855779815366noreply@blogger.comBlogger381125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7964262.post-36266805339090330922024-01-23T08:43:00.001-05:002024-01-23T16:21:48.337-05:00Netflix to Become New Home of WWE Raw Beginning 2025<p>WWE, part of TKO Group Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: TKO), and Netflix (NASDAQ: NFLX) today announced a long-term partnership that will bring WWE’s flagship weekly program – Raw – to the world’s leading entertainment service. This marks a major programming shift as Raw leaves linear television for the first time since its inception 31 years ago.</p><p>Beginning in January 2025, Netflix will be the exclusive new home of Raw in the U.S., Canada, U.K. and Latin America, among other territories, with additional countries and regions to be added over time. Likewise, as part of the agreement, Netflix will also become the home for all WWE shows and specials outside the U.S. as available, inclusive of Raw and WWE’s other weekly shows – SmackDown and NXT – as well as the company’s Premium Live Events, including WrestleMania, SummerSlam and Royal Rumble. WWE’s award-winning documentaries, original series and forthcoming projects will also be available on Netflix internationally beginning in 2025.</p><p>“This deal is transformative,” said Mark Shapiro, TKO President and COO. “It marries the can’t-miss WWE product with Netflix’s extraordinary global reach and locks in significant and predictable economics for many years. Our partnership fundamentally alters and strengthens the media landscape, dramatically expands the reach of WWE, and brings weekly live appointment viewing to Netflix.”</p><p>“We are excited to have WWE Raw, with its huge and passionate multigenerational fan base, on Netflix,” said Netflix Chief Content Officer, Bela Bajaria. “By combining our reach, recommendations, and fandom with WWE, we’ll be able to deliver more joy and value for their audiences and our members. Raw is the best of sports entertainment, blending great characters and storytelling with live action 52 weeks a year and we’re thrilled to be in this long-term partnership with WWE.”</p><p>“In its relatively short history, Netflix has engineered a phenomenal track record for storytelling,” said Nick Khan, WWE President. “We believe Netflix, as one of the world’s leading entertainment brands, is the ideal long-term home for Raw’s live, loyal, and ever-growing fan base.” </p><p>With 1,600 episodes to date, Raw is the most iconic show in sports entertainment. Since its debut in 1993, Raw has delivered action, compelling drama and unmatched athleticism – 52 weeks a year. Blending the best of scripted content with unpredictable live entertainment, the three-hour show has helped launch the careers of Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, “Stone Cold” Steve Austin, Triple H, John Cena, Roman Reigns, Bianca Belair and Charlotte Flair.</p><p>The show is currently the No. 1 show on USA Network, where it brings in 17.5 million unique viewers over the course of the year. One of television’s best performing shows in the 18-49 advertising demographic, Raw trends on X 52 weeks a year while each new episode is airing. On social media, WWE has more than one billion followers across its platforms.</p><div class="blogger-post-footer"><script expr:src='"http://feeds.feedburner.com/~s/Klq?i=" + data:post.url' type="text/javascript" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Kaliqo~http://www.blogger.com/profile/16883827855779815366noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7964262.post-43957209555240347722022-01-27T13:21:00.006-05:002022-01-27T13:21:37.850-05:00Peacock Subscriber Updates, Stats On WWE Fans Using Peacock<p>Peacock hit 24.5 million active subscribers in the United States at the end of 2021, according to Comcast.</p><p>This is up 22.5% from the 20 million subscribers that were announced in June 2021.</p><p>Comcast also announced that Peacock lost $559 million in the last quarter and $1.7 million for the whole year of 2021. Peacock-related reported revenue was $335 million for the quarter, and $778 million for the year.</p><p>Peacock holds the rights to the WWE Network in the United States, and has been the main streamer of WWE Premium Live Events and other programming since April 4, 2021. It was announced in January 2021 that NBCUniversal had acquired the exclusive United States distribution rights to the WWE Network, and would be folding those rights into Peacock.</p><p>WWE had around 1.6 million total Network subscribers before the Peacock deal began, with around 1.1-1.2 million of those in the United States.</p><p>Analyst Matt Belloni reported earlier this month that of the 1.1 million subscribers that WWE Network had when they signed with Peacock, 1 million successfully converted to Peacock subscribers. It was also noted that more than 3 million Peacock subscribers have watched WWE content since it moved over last spring. Furthermore, more than half of those 3 million subscribers indicated that they signed up “because of WWE.”</p><div class="blogger-post-footer"><script expr:src='"http://feeds.feedburner.com/~s/Klq?i=" + data:post.url' type="text/javascript" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Kaliqo~http://www.blogger.com/profile/16883827855779815366noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7964262.post-60185032809629355152021-04-29T19:36:00.002-04:002021-04-29T19:37:03.666-04:00Peacock signs up 9 million after adding WWE and The Office<div class="blogger-post-footer"><script expr:src='"http://feeds.feedburner.com/~s/Klq?i=" + data:post.url' type="text/javascript" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Kaliqo~http://www.blogger.com/profile/16883827855779815366noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7964262.post-78214496802417666162021-04-16T18:17:00.002-04:002021-04-16T21:08:34.422-04:00Stephanie McMahon Issues Statement On WrestleMania 37<div>Stephanie McMahon issued the following open letter:</div><div><br></div><div>Good morning,</div><div><br></div><div>On Saturday night, I stood on stage at Raymond James Stadium, surrounded by WWE Superstars, in front of a 103 ft long pirate ship, and looked out into a sea of fans. My father, WWE Chairman and CEO, Vince McMahon, addressed the crowd and said: “Throughout this past year our WWE Superstars performed tirelessly for all of you. Week after week, month after month but we all knew there was something missing, something very important, THE most important, and that would be all of you, our fans, the WWE Universe. And as we emerge from this dreadful pandemic on behalf of our entire WWE family, we would simply like to say thank you and welcome you to, WRESTLEMANIA!”</div><div><br></div><div>The 25K in attendance erupted and the rest of us had tears in our eyes; reinforcing the meaning behind our new company signature that started the show, “Then. Now. Forever. Together.”</div><div><br></div><div>WrestleMania streamed exclusively from its new home on Peacock in the U.S., and WWE Network around the world, taking place over two nights and making history.</div><div><br></div><div>Sasha Banks and Bianca Belair became the first Black female Superstars to main event WrestleMania. We had live musical performances from Bebe Rexha, Wale, Ash Costello and Ashland Craft, and Grammy award-winning artist Bad Bunny and YouTube influencer Logan Paul found themselves getting in on the action inside the ring. Bad Bunny’s performance receiving praise from ESPN touting it as “…one of, if not the, most impressive showings by a celebrity in the ring.”</div><div><br></div><div>WWE also secured a record 14 new and returning blue chip partners for WrestleMania including Snickers as the Presenting Partner for the sixth consecutive year and Presenting Partner of the Main Event, NBCUniversal, Papa John’s, Cricket Wireless, P&G’s Old Spice, DraftKings, 2K, Nissin, and Credit One Bank.</div><div><br></div><div>Across YouTube, WWE.com and WWE social media content during WrestleMania Week, video views hit 1.1 billion, 31 million hours of content was consumed, and WWE-related content saw 115 million engagements. WrestleMania was also the world’s most-social program both nights of the weekend, delivering 71 Twitter trends in the U.S. alone.</div><div><br></div><div>For the first time we launched a series of NFTs featuring The Undertaker, had record breaking WrestleMania weekend e-commerce sales and record merchandise per capita sales in stadium.</div><div><br></div><div>WWE Superstars and executives participated in more than 300 interviews to promote our WrestleMania celebration including appearances on Jimmy Kimmel Live!, TODAY Show, ESPN Get Up, FOX & Friends, E! and Access Hollywood. And because we always want to leave our host city better off than when we arrived, we held more than 10 community activations throughout the week, from our community caravan where we recognized 11 local community leaders; to teaming with FOX Sports and Good Sports to donate sports equipment to Special Olympics Florida; and working with Feeding Tampa Bay, University of FL IFAS program, the Healthy Living Coalition, Nestle Waters and the Tampa Bay Sports Commission to dedicate the first of five sustainable community gardens throughout the Tampa Bay area to combat food insecurity.</div><div><br></div><div>It takes the effort of so many different people to make WrestleMania happen, especially during a global pandemic. Thank you to our friends, partners, employees, and of course, our Superstars for making it possible.</div><div><br></div><div>I hope to see everyone in person soon,</div><div><br></div><div>Steph</div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><script expr:src='"http://feeds.feedburner.com/~s/Klq?i=" + data:post.url' type="text/javascript" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Kaliqo~http://www.blogger.com/profile/16883827855779815366noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7964262.post-79522827372122462522021-03-26T15:44:00.006-04:002021-04-12T15:07:20.343-04:00Peacock Purges Racist WWE Segments From Streaming Archive<div style="border-style: solid; border-width: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "IBM Plex Serif", serif; line-height: 1.5; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: "IBM Plex Serif", serif;">As</span><span style="font-family: "IBM Plex Serif", serif;"> </span><a data-tag="wwe" href="https://variety.com/t/wwe/" id="auto-tag_wwe" style="border-bottom: none; border-left-style: solid; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-style: solid; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-style: solid; border-top-width: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #0066cc; font-family: "IBM Plex Serif", serif; text-decoration-line: none; transition: color 0.15s linear 0s, border-color 0.15s linear 0s;">WWE</a><span style="font-family: "IBM Plex Serif", serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: "IBM Plex Serif", serif;">Network is set to move exclusively to</span><span style="font-family: "IBM Plex Serif", serif;"> </span><a data-tag="nbcuniversal" href="https://variety.com/t/nbcuniversal/" id="auto-tag_nbcuniversal" style="border-bottom: none; border-left-style: solid; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-style: solid; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-style: solid; border-top-width: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #0066cc; font-family: "IBM Plex Serif", serif; text-decoration-line: none; transition: color 0.15s linear 0s, border-color 0.15s linear 0s;">NBCUniversal</a><span style="font-family: "IBM Plex Serif", serif;">’s</span><span style="font-family: "IBM Plex Serif", serif;"> </span><a data-tag="peacock" href="https://variety.com/t/peacock/" id="auto-tag_peacock" style="border-bottom: none; border-left-style: solid; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-style: solid; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-style: solid; border-top-width: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #0066cc; font-family: "IBM Plex Serif", serif; text-decoration-line: none; transition: color 0.15s linear 0s, border-color 0.15s linear 0s;">Peacock</a><span style="font-family: "IBM Plex Serif", serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: "IBM Plex Serif", serif;">streaming service next month, the media company is removing objectionable material from the wrestling franchise’s archives.</span></div><div style="border-style: solid; border-width: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "IBM Plex Serif", serif; line-height: 1.5; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: "IBM Plex Serif", serif;"><br /></span>WWE is <a href="https://variety.com/2021/digital/news/wwe-network-peacock-date-wrestlemania-37-1234924780/" style="border-bottom: none; border-left-style: solid; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-style: solid; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-style: solid; border-top-width: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #0066cc; text-decoration-line: none; transition: color 0.15s linear 0s, border-color 0.15s linear 0s;">shutting down WWE Network as a standalone service in the U.S. as of April 4</a>, when customers will need to have a Peacock subscription to access the content. Ahead of the cutover, Peacock has been on-boarding <a data-tag="wwe-network" href="https://variety.com/t/wwe-network/" id="auto-tag_wwe-network" style="border-bottom: none; border-left-style: solid; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-style: solid; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-style: solid; border-top-width: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #0066cc; text-decoration-line: none; transition: color 0.15s linear 0s, border-color 0.15s linear 0s;">WWE Network</a>’s 17,000-plus-hour library of old programming — but some of WWE’s racist and controversial bits from years past are getting expunged in the transition.</div><div style="border-style: solid; border-width: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "IBM Plex Serif", serif; line-height: 1.5; text-align: left;"><br />Peacock began adding WWE Network content March 18, and fans have since noticed that some older content is missing.<br />Among the deleted scenes: A section of WWE’s “Survivor Series event from November 2005, in which chairman/showman <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=APrPDwUosrQ" rel="nofollow" style="border-bottom: none; border-left-style: solid; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-style: solid; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-style: solid; border-top-width: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #0066cc; text-decoration-line: none; transition: color 0.15s linear 0s, border-color 0.15s linear 0s;" target="_blank">Vince McMahon is shown backstage cheerfully greeting John Cena using the n-word</a> within earshot of a confounded Booker T, who says, “Tell me he didn’t just say that.”</div><div style="border-style: solid; border-width: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "IBM Plex Serif", serif; line-height: 1.5; text-align: left;"><br />Also cut by Peacock is the WrestleMania 6 match from 1990 between the late “Rowdy” Roddy Piper and Bad News Brown, in which <a href="https://twitter.com/marclamonthill/status/1292853903399227393?lang=en" rel="nofollow" style="border-bottom: none; border-left-style: solid; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-style: solid; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-style: solid; border-top-width: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #0066cc; text-decoration-line: none; transition: color 0.15s linear 0s, border-color 0.15s linear 0s;" target="_blank">Piper (a white performer) appeared in half-blackface</a> to take on his Black opponent. NBCU’s edits to the WWE archive programming were first <a href="https://www.pwinsider.com/article.php?id=145117" rel="nofollow" style="border-bottom: none; border-left-style: solid; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-style: solid; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-style: solid; border-top-width: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #0066cc; text-decoration-line: none; transition: color 0.15s linear 0s, border-color 0.15s linear 0s;" target="_blank">reported by PWInsider</a>.<br />The content that is no longer available via Peacock has been previously available on the WWE Network platform. Since 2014, WWE Network has included this disclaimer on older material: “The following program is presented in its original form. It may contain some content that does not reflect WWE’s corporate views and may not be suitable for all viewers. WWE characters are fictitious and do not reflect the personal lives of the actors portraying them. Viewer discretion is advised.” The service also has allowed user to block access to selected programs using WWE Network’s parental-control settings.<br />Reps for NBCU and WWE declined to comment. The content in question is being removed for distribution on Peacock to conform with NBCU’s standards and practices policies, a source familiar with the situation told <em style="border-style: solid; border-width: 0px; box-sizing: border-box;">Variety</em>.<span><a name='more'></a></span></div><div style="border-style: solid; border-width: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "IBM Plex Serif", serif; line-height: 1.5; text-align: left;"><br />As previously announced, under the companies’ multiyear deal, WWE Network content including all pay-per-view events will be available on Peacock Premium with ads, regularly priced at $4.99 per month (half the $9.99 monthly cost of WWE Network). WWE Network also will be available on the $9.99/month ad-free version of Peacock Premium. In addition, Peacock Premium with ads is included at no additional cost for Comcast’s Xfinity X1 and Flex customers and Cox Contour customers.</div><div style="border-style: solid; border-width: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "IBM Plex Serif", serif; line-height: 1.5; text-align: left;"><br />NBCU previously said it will be regularly adding WWE Network archive content to Peacock, aiming to have the full library including all PPV events available before SummerSlam 2021.</div><div style="border-style: solid; border-width: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "IBM Plex Serif", serif; line-height: 1.5; text-align: left;"><br /><i>source: variety.com</i></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><script expr:src='"http://feeds.feedburner.com/~s/Klq?i=" + data:post.url' type="text/javascript" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Kaliqo~http://www.blogger.com/profile/16883827855779815366noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7964262.post-10505190074359934472021-03-20T20:06:00.003-04:002021-03-21T02:41:32.339-04:00Stephanie McMahon On How WWE Will Operate After Vince McMahon Steps DownWWE’s chief brand officer Stephanie McMahon joined Bloomberg Business of Sports to talk WWE’s move to NBC’s Peacock streaming service. During the interview, she documented WWE’s journey through the streaming landscape.
<div>“Vince’s perspective has always been to be slightly ahead of the curve,” said Stephanie. “You never want to be behind. So that’s why we were one of the first, five years ago, to launch our streaming service, the WWE Network. We did learn a lot from that time. Actually we were actually pretty far down the pike negotiating a linear deal. But our almost partners wanted to lock up our rights for about ten years. It was just a real long time, so we decided to take a step back and do deeper research. </div><div><br /></div><div>“We learned that our fans were consuming five times more online video than average. So we thought ‘let’s control our own destiny.’ And we doubled down and within eight months we launched WWE Network. </div><div><br /></div><div>Later Stephanie was asked about how Vince McMahon’s vision of WWE be presented when the Chairman of WWE finally steps down. Stephanie indicated it would be a group effort.</div><div><br /></div><div>“I do think a lot of the institutional knowledge is important, particularly with regards toward the core content,” Stephanie said. “But it’s also surrounding our business with strong, smart executives. And that’s exactly what we have. So I do think it’s the marriage of institutional knowledge, the incredible production value, the creation of talent IP and storylines and really strong business executives to help us expand. I think it’s a combination of things. </div><div><br /></div><div>“I don’t think there will ever be a person to person replacement for Vince McMahon. He does too much. The landscape would look different however it shakes out. But I think it’s a marriage of those things.” </div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>credit Bloomberg Business of Sports and <a href="https://www.wrestlinginc.com">Wrestling Inc</a>. for the transcription</div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><script expr:src='"http://feeds.feedburner.com/~s/Klq?i=" + data:post.url' type="text/javascript" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Kaliqo~http://www.blogger.com/profile/16883827855779815366noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7964262.post-15742058102915042132021-01-25T17:26:00.002-05:002021-04-04T20:07:58.202-04:00WWE Network – Peacock Deal Reportedly Worth More Than $1 Billion<div><span style="letter-spacing: 0.2px;">The new WWE Network – Peacock deal is reportedly worth more than $1 billion.</span></div><div><br></div><div>As noted, WWE announced today that NBCUniversal’s Peacock will become the exclusive new home for the WWE Network in the United States on Thursday, March 18. You can click here for full details on the announcement, including price points.</div><div><br></div><div>In an update, the Wall Street Journal reports that a person familiar with the deal says it runs for 5 years, and is valued at more than $1 billion. WWE and NBCU did not officially disclose terms of the multi-year agreement.</div><div><br></div><div>It’s also been noted that WWE and NBCU will share details on how existing WWE Network subscribers in the United States will be switched to the Peacock platform in the next few weeks. It remains to be seen if current subscribers will be automatically subscribed to Peacock, or how they will do it.</div><div><br></div><div>WWE Network will continue to operate as a stand-alone entity outside of the United States and nothing will change for international users.</div><div><br></div><div>WSJ also reported that Alan Gold, a partner at Creative Artists Agency’s advisory and investment Evolution Media, served as an adviser on the new WWE – Peacock deal.</div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><script expr:src='"http://feeds.feedburner.com/~s/Klq?i=" + data:post.url' type="text/javascript" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Kaliqo~http://www.blogger.com/profile/16883827855779815366noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7964262.post-24876145331520669322021-01-25T11:38:00.004-05:002021-04-04T20:08:19.052-04:00NBCU’s Peacock Pins WWE Network Exclusive U.S. Streaming Rights<p>NBCUniversal’s Peacock soon will be the only place to watch WWE Network in the U.S.</p><p>WWE and NBCU reached a multiyear agreement giving Peacock exclusive streaming rights to WWE Network for American viewers. The over-the-top wrestling entertainment service’s existing U.S. subscribers (about 1.1 million in total) will be migrated over to Peacock Premium, where they’ll continue to get access to WWE Network but will pay 50% less per month while getting full access to the version of the Peacock Premium tier with ads.</p><p>Peacock will launch WWE Network on March 18, 2021, when Peacock will begin the rollout of more than 17,000 hours of WWE Network new, original, and library programming (both on-demand and on a new 24-hour channel).</p><p>The NBCU streamer will have all WWE live events — for no additional charge — including WrestleMania and SummerSlam, with Fastlane the first event to stream on Peacock on Sunday, March 21. (WWE fans who would prefer to order events via traditional pay-per-view will still have that option.)</p><p>WWE Network will be available on Peacock Premium (which includes ads) for $4.99 per month, half the price of WWE Network’s current $9.99/month pricing. The no-commercials Peacock Premium Plus plan, which costs $9.99/month, also will include WWE Network.</p><p>The companies plans to share details of how existing WWE Network subscribers in the U.S. will be switched to Peacock (e.g., whether they will be automatically subscribed to Peacock) in the next few weeks. Nothing will change for WWE Network subscribers outside the U.S.</p><p>Financial terms of the Peacock-WWE Network pact were not disclosed. According to sources, it’s a five-year deal worth more than $1 billion over that time period.<span></span></p><a name='more'></a><p></p><p>“We feel great about the financials. Otherwise we wouldn’t have done the deal,” said Nick Khan, WWE’s president and chief revenue officer, who joined the company last August from CAA. “To have WrestleMania in particular — which is our Super Bowl — available [for no extra cost] on Peacock is quite different from other models you’re seeing.”</p><p>For Peacock, the WWE Network is “a transformative addition,” said Rick Cordella, Peacock’s EVP and chief revenue officer. “We have a lot of data that shows live events and sports drives a lot of user acquisition,” he said. “The bet is that there exists a much larger total available audience [for WWE programming] than is on WWE Network today.”</p><p>WWE and NBCU (and its predecessors) have been partners for more than 30 years. “Monday Night Raw” on USA, the first regular cable program from the wrestling-entertainment company, debuted in 1993. “WWE has always tapped into the cultural zeitgeist with spectacular live events and larger-than-life characters, and we are thrilled to be the exclusive home for WWE Network and its millions of fans across the country,” said Cordella.n the third quarter of 2020, WWE Network had average paid subscribers of 1.6 million, down about 60,000 from the prior quarter but an increase of 6% year over year — marking the service’s first annual growth since Q1 of 2019. The entertainment company originally launched WWE Network in February 2014, when it ended its traditional pay-per-view events business.</p><p>Starting in 2022, WWE will produce “one signature documentary annually” for the WWE Network on Peacock. Also available on WWE Network are about 100 hours of original series like “Steve Austin’s Broken Skull Sessions,” “Undertaker: The Last Ride” and the recently premiered “WWE Icons”; in-ring shows like NXT, NXT UK and WWE 205 Live, as well as replays of “Raw” and “SmackDown”; WWE Network archives, including every WWE, WCW and ECW pay-per-view event in history; and documentaries including “WWE 24,” “WWE Untold” and “WWE 365.”</p><p><i>source: variety.com</i></p><p><br /></p><div class="blogger-post-footer"><script expr:src='"http://feeds.feedburner.com/~s/Klq?i=" + data:post.url' type="text/javascript" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Kaliqo~http://www.blogger.com/profile/16883827855779815366noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7964262.post-61034951865102463362020-10-29T19:59:00.005-04:002022-07-25T09:07:23.908-04:00Vince McMahon And WWE Executives Talk COVID-19, WWE NXT And Triple H, Saudi Arabia, MoreWWE Chairman & CEO Vince McMahon, Chief Financial Officer Kristina Salen,
and SVP Financial Planning & Investor Relations Michael Weitz are hosting a
Third Quarter 2020 Earnings call today from WWE headquarters in Stamford, CT.
You can check out coverage of this evening's press release at this link. Below
are highlights from the call: Weitz opens the call and welcomes everyone, going
over the usual intro. Vince took over and said he's never felt as confident as
he does right now with the upper management team WWE has.
<div><br /></div>
<div>
It's extraordinary what the team has done for the business. He touted
the new energy and vibrancy, and optimism. In regards to where they can go in
the future, this is a fun and exciting place to be. He praised new WWE
President & Chief Revenue Officer Nick Khan for what he's done to help the
company, and revealed that Chief Brand Officer Stephanie McMahon has taken on
more responsibilities, praising her. Vince said he really feels great about
the new WWE management team. Vince didn't get into the numbers, but says he
just wanted to share how he feels about the current management team. He hands
it over to Khan. Khan talks about his background since he's fairly new to the
company. He mentions being an usher at WrestleMania 9 in Las Vegas. Khan says
they are working to develop new WWE Studios content, including Total Bellas
season 6 to premiere in November, and A&E's "Quest for Lost WWE Treasures"
that will be hosted by Triple H and Stephanie McMahon. This show will take
viewers on the ultimate hunt to find some of WWE's most iconic lost
memorabilia. This furthers the relationship with A&E. He mentions A&E
has also ordered more episodes of the "Biography" documentaries.
</div>
<div><br /></div>
<div>
Khan then announces that they have reached a groundbreaking new deal with
Netflix, selling them a multi-part documentary on the life of Vince McMahon.
This is one of the highest-budgeted documentaries in Netflix history. Bill
Simmons will executive produce. Chris Smith, who directed Netflix's Fyre Fest
documentary, will produce the Vince project, along with WWE Studios. Khan
noted that they are still working on the alternate version of WWE Network but
are unable to say when that will be ready. WWE Network subscriptions are up
during the pandemic. Khan announces a 2021 event with Sony in India that will
primarily feature Indian talent. It will air on Sony in India and will also be
distributed here in the United States. Khan then introduces Stephanie.
</div>
<div><br /></div>
<div>
She talks about her role with the company and how everything they do is under
the WWE Universe. She touts how WrestleMania 36 went from being sold out at
Raymond James Stadium, to the "new normal" on a closed-set at the WWE
Performance Center. Along with RAW and SmackDown, they experimented with new
ways on the closed set but that wasn't good enough so they launched WWE
ThunderDome, which made their shows feel alive again. They saw an increase in
RAW and SmackDown ratings with the ThunderDome. She touts how they transformed
the Performance Center arena into the Capitol Wrestling Center, the return to
WWE NXT UK with BT Sports Studios in London. She mentioned how the production
teams from Orlando, Stamford and London are working together, and praised the
efforts. She also touted more than 50 billion video views on YouTube, and WWE
changing their digital strategy, which led to more engagement. Stephanie also
talked about how the company has been doing WWE Community virtual visits
during the COVID-19 pandemic, partnering with UNICEF for their kids program
and others. WWE's advertising campaigns and sponsor partnerships are outpacing
industry standards and recent trends. Stephanie also touted recent celebrity
involvement and how top brands continue to partner with WWE during the
pandemic. She said WWE remains bullish, for 2021 and beyond, when it comes to
growth, expansion, partnerships and everything else. New Chief Financial
Officer Kristina Salen took over next and went over numbers from today's press
release. WWE is evaluating their strategies for 2021 but the pandemic leaves a
lot of uncertainty. She said RAW and SmackDown viewership improved from July -
September, despite major sports competition. She said WWE can't say when
ticketed live events will return at this point, but their intention is to
return to live events as quickly and safety as possible. WWE anticipates Q4
2020 will have lower revenues than the same period in 2019. Part of the blame
goes to the fact that they have no Saudi Arabia event in the quarter like they
did in Q4 2019. WWE did not buy back any stock in Q3 under the buyback
program, but they may in the future. It's now time for the Q&A portion of
the call. They were asked about ratings and if there are any firm plans to
improve them, and if ratings staying where they are will hurt negotiations for
rights fees when they come back around. Vince said they have more fans than
they've ever had but total audience is much bigger than just the TV audience.
You can't just "hang your hat" on TV viewership being down. Vince mentioned
how WWE is never off the air. You might say viewership is down but the overall
viewership and engagement needs to be considered. WWE is doing everything they
can to improve. The ThunderDome brought some fans back, but they want better
execution of the creative, and better writing overall. Khan said TV in general
has lost viewers but WWE viewership has not, overall. Consumption of WWE
content is significantly up. WWE remains confident that TV rights fees will
also go up. He touted how WWE topped the NHL Stanley Cup viewership in the key
demographic, and they also did well against the Los Angeles Lakers playing at
the end of the NBA season. They were asked about the MENA (Middle East &
North Africa) TV rights and Vince said they are still negotiating them, and
are still in contact with the Saudis. Vince said it will happen, but he
doesn't know when. They were asked about potential WWE Network changes and
they are open to anything except the sale of the Network, including licensing.
WWE is in constant talks about possibly licensing the Network domestically and
internationally. They are also constantly working on international ideas for
content. The idea is to develop local content for international territories.
There are currently no plans to add advertising to the WWE Network free
version but this could change. Stephanie noted that they are testing different
technologies that can be applied to different strategies. Salen noted that
they are waiting for the return of live events and touring. They still have
some employees who are furloughed, which makes for short-term financial cuts,
but they are hoping to bring some of those employees back by the end of the
year. In regards to if they will have no live events in 2021 or maybe for half
of the year and if they will run the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia next year, Salen
said they have not commented on the 2021 OIBDA (Operating Income Before
Depreciation and Amortization) but they are diligently working on 2021
financial and operational plans with the executive team, noting that she and
Khan are still getting settled into the job. She said they will have an update
on the strategic focus for 2021 the next time they meet with investors.
Regarding the India event planned for 2021, they are seeking the right talents
and the right structure so that the event makes sense for all parties
involved. This will be with Sony in India. Khan noted that ratings in October
have held up despite a "cluttered" fall TV season. When asked if there is
anything that NXT does that could be used to improve RAW or SmackDown, Khan
praised the blue and red brands for how they have held up. Vince was asked
what he and the company needs to see before they are willing to bring fans
back to events amid the pandemic. The call President Trump held earlier this
year with sports league bosses was mentioned. Vince said he was on that call
but that was the extent of his discussions with Trump on the matter. When the
coronavirus eases up and it's safe for fans and talents, that's all he can say
for now in regards to when fans will be allowed back like normal. They were
asked about WWE NXT and the length of the deal with the USA Network. Khan gave
props to Triple H and his team, and touted the NXT Halloween Havoc ratings for
last night. He said they are comfortable with the position they have with USA,
and are enjoying the relationship with the network. The platform has led to
many eyeballs on the talent. They don't typically discuss the length of TV
deals unless their partners are on board with them doing so, but they feel
like this deal is certainly long enough for them to have a long runway for
Triple H and his team to grow the product as they have been doing. Khan said
they feel good about all three products and how they are headed in the right
direction.
</div>
<strike></strike><div class="blogger-post-footer"><script expr:src='"http://feeds.feedburner.com/~s/Klq?i=" + data:post.url' type="text/javascript" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Kaliqo~http://www.blogger.com/profile/16883827855779815366noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7964262.post-50106150969103348912020-08-14T00:39:00.001-04:002020-08-14T00:39:27.462-04:00WWE Network Acquires Content From Several Top Indie PromotionsAmong the new content available on WWE’s streaming service is a collection highlighting how Drew McIntyre rejuvenated his career on the independent circuit.<br />
JUSTIN BARRASSO14 HOURS AGO<br />
WWE is adding content to the WWE Network, Sports Illustrated has learned.<br />
<br />
WWE officials have confirmed that shows from EVOLVE, wXw, PROGRESS and Insane Championship Wrestling will begin airing on the WWE Network beginning this Saturday. The shows will add an international flair to the Network, with wXw based out of Germany, PROGRESS a staple of the English wrestling scene and ICW in Scotland.<br />
<br />
The new content includes two “Best Of” compilation specials, which feature the work of Drew McIntyre in EVOLVE as well as Keith Lee’s rise in the same promotion.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><script expr:src='"http://feeds.feedburner.com/~s/Klq?i=" + data:post.url' type="text/javascript" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Kaliqo~http://www.blogger.com/profile/16883827855779815366noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7964262.post-82632488747535131192020-06-01T11:06:00.001-04:002020-06-01T11:27:45.432-04:00WWE Launches Free Version Of The WWE Network WWE today unveiled the free version of WWE Network. The free version features a vast portion of its content library with more than 15,000 WWE titles now available for free, with no credit card required.<br />
<br />
The free version of WWE Network includes:<br />
<br />
* New shows including Raw Talk, streaming Monday nights each week immediately following Raw<br />
<br />
* Original series including Monday Night War, Ride Along, Table for 3, Photo Shoot and Story Time<br />
<br />
* Recent episodes of WWE's flagship programs Monday Night Raw, Friday Night SmackDown and NXT<br />
<br />
* Select historical WWE pay-per-views and NXT TakeOver events<br />
<br />
* Weekly WWE highlights, Top 10, WWE's The Bump, WWE Now, The Best of WWE and WWE Timeline<br />
<br />
"The launch of WWE Network's Free Version is a key component of our company's digitization strategy and a new way for all fans to be able to experience premium WWE content," said Jayar Donlan, WWE Executive Vice President, Advanced Media. "As we continue to reimagine WWE Network's offering, the Free Version will serve as an effective way to reach a broader group of consumers and allow them to experience the history and spectacle of WWE."<br />
<br />
To access WWE Network's free version, download the WWE App on any device, including TVs, gaming consoles, mobile phones, tablets and computers.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><script expr:src='"http://feeds.feedburner.com/~s/Klq?i=" + data:post.url' type="text/javascript" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Kaliqo~http://www.blogger.com/profile/16883827855779815366noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7964262.post-41306428216204611782020-04-24T09:42:00.001-04:002020-04-24T09:52:33.599-04:00WWE Network Updated Subscriber Count<div>The <a href="https://www.wrestlinginc.com/news/wwe-news">WWE</a> Q1 2020 earnings report issued this evening noted that the WWE Network had a total of 2.10 million subscribers as of April 6, which was Night Two of <a href="https://www.wrestlinginc.com/events/2020/492/wwe-wrestlemania-36-night-1/"><em>WrestleMania</em></a> 36.<br />
</div><div><div class="media-display media-fluid"><br />
</div><div id="article-container" readability="41.88824383164006"><div class="article-body" readability="53.85631349782293"><div class="box-a"><div id="div-gpt-tag-mobile-box-a" data-google-query-id="CKG8qZiYgekCFZdGhgodImwN9w"><div id="google_ads_iframe_/19481072/tag-mobile-box-a_0__container__">The number of average paid subscribers was 1.46 million, down from the previous quarter. WWE had around 640,000 free subscribers who signed up during the free trial that was issued during the early days of the coronavirus pandemic.</div></div></div><p>The earnings report also noted that the <a href="https://www.wrestlinginc.com/events/2020/471/wwe-wrestlemania-36-night-2/"><em>WrestleMania 36</em></a> weekend subscriber additions, from Friday - Sunday, were the highest in the history of the platform. Total subscribers reached 2.10 million on that <em>WrestleMania</em> Sunday, which was up 5% from the day after <em>WrestleMania</em> 35 in 2019.</p><p>Back in February when WWE issued their Q4 2019 and Full Year earnings report it was noted that the Network had 1.389 million paid subscribers at the end of the year, with 70,000 free subscribers for a total of 1.459 million. The total number of paid subscribers reported then was down 9% from 2018, while total subscribers were down 6.6%. The average number of paid subscribers in the fourth quarter of 2019 was 1.419 million, down 10.5% from 1.585 million in 2018.</p><p><a href="https://www.wrestlinginc.com/news/2020/04/wwe-reports-strong-q1-2020-results-669584/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">You can click here</a> to read the full Q1 2020 earnings report.</p></div></div></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><script expr:src='"http://feeds.feedburner.com/~s/Klq?i=" + data:post.url' type="text/javascript" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Kaliqo~http://www.blogger.com/profile/16883827855779815366noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7964262.post-86980436532099522712020-04-17T21:41:00.000-04:002020-04-17T23:40:41.151-04:00WWE Superstars will climb the corporate ladder at WWE Money In The BankThis year’s WWE Money In The Bank Men’s and Women’s Match participants will have an even more unique challenge ahead of them than usual.<br />
<br />
The match begins on the ground floor of WWE Headquarters, but the briefcases – containing contracts for a championship match anytime, anyplace – will be hanging all the way up on the roof of the corporate tower.<br />
<br />
Catch the historic, groundbreaking matches when WWE Money In The Bank streams live on the award-winning WWE Network on Sunday, May 10, at 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT.<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6u73VglYUtFpVzG6iL0g9BkN4wjpepNGPzcafhK1cb0_weB-Nn1XWF3VSlwJX7QvxmTqOhlFlMgiqOnx_UzIvNwthX9O_guD0Yr7TjD6wrn-ckQQ5BrTr4tdaJbc7AtRcK9bJaA/s1600/EV2OAycWAAA36xW.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6u73VglYUtFpVzG6iL0g9BkN4wjpepNGPzcafhK1cb0_weB-Nn1XWF3VSlwJX7QvxmTqOhlFlMgiqOnx_UzIvNwthX9O_guD0Yr7TjD6wrn-ckQQ5BrTr4tdaJbc7AtRcK9bJaA/s320/EV2OAycWAAA36xW.jpeg" width="256" height="320" data-original-width="544" data-original-height="680" /></a></div><br />
<div class="blogger-post-footer"><script expr:src='"http://feeds.feedburner.com/~s/Klq?i=" + data:post.url' type="text/javascript" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Kaliqo~http://www.blogger.com/profile/16883827855779815366noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7964262.post-59496773259315101202020-03-18T20:29:00.001-04:002020-03-18T20:29:49.618-04:00WrestleMania 36 To Air As A Two-Night Streaming Event, Rob Gronkowski Announced As HostWWE has announced that WrestleMania 36 will be a two-night streaming event for the first time ever.<br />
<br />
WrestleMania 36 will air on Saturday, April 4 and Sunday, April 5 at 7pm ET on pay-per-view and the WWE Network. It will still air from the WWE Performance Center in Orlando, with no crowd.<br />
<br />
WWE also announced that former NFL player Rob Gronkowski will be hosting The Grandest Stage of Them All this year.<br />
<br />
Gronk, who will be on Friday's SmackDown to push the appearance, took to Twitter and commented on the big announcement.<br />
<br />
"It's official! I'm hosting @WrestleMania this year...and it's gonna be too big for just one night. For the 1st time, #WrestleMania will be a [alarm emoji] 2-NIGHT [alarm emoji] event: Saturday, April 4 AND Sunday, April 5 on @WWENetwork! Tell you more this Friday night on #SmackDown at 8 ET on @FOXTV," he wrote.<br />
<br />
Below is the full announcement WWE sent to us:<br />
<br />
For Immediate Release<br />
WRESTLEMANIA® TOO BIG FOR JUST ONE NIGHT<br />
<br />
STAMFORD, Conn. – March 18, 2020 – WrestleMania, for the first time ever, will be held as a two-night event streaming on Saturday, April 4 and Sunday, April 5 at 7 pm ET on WWE Network and available on pay-per-view.<br />
<br />
The two-night pop culture extravaganza will be hosted by three-time Super Bowl Champion Rob Gronkowski. Tune in to SmackDown this Friday at 8 pm ET on FOX to see what Gronk has in store for WrestleMania.<br />
<br />
As previously announced, only essential personnel will be on the closed set during the production of WrestleMania.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><script expr:src='"http://feeds.feedburner.com/~s/Klq?i=" + data:post.url' type="text/javascript" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Kaliqo~http://www.blogger.com/profile/16883827855779815366noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7964262.post-7232796852493241722020-02-21T19:16:00.001-05:002020-02-25T19:11:04.320-05:00WWE Reportedly Negotiating With ESPN For Content Streaming On ESPN+WWE is reportedly having talks with ESPN.<br />
<br />
The Wrestling Observer Newsletter reports that the talks would be in regards to WWE content airing on the ESPN+ service. The deal that WWE is likely trying to broker would be similar to the deal UFC has with ESPN, where WWE would sell their rights to air pay-per-views, which would pay more money for the content than WWE could make on its own by selling the content directly to viewers with the WWE Network. The ESPN+ model with UFC is reportedly what opened WWE's eyes to the idea.<br />
<br />
The ESPN+ deal could potentially bring more mainstream exposure to WWE's big events and their biggest Superstars. ESPN has proved that when they own rights to a product, they use their various shows to heavily market that product. There's no word yet on how far the talks with ESPN are, but The Observer noted that it looks like the deal has not been agreed on as of this week.<br />
<br />
As noted earlier this month at this link, there was no truth to the rumors on WWE possibly talking to Amazon about selling content rights to them. While Amazon might not be interested in WWE, the company has been talking with other potential partners, which would include DAZN, and NBC's Peacock service. ESPN+ was also included in the original report on potential content partners.<br />
<br />
The belief was that NBC's Peacock service, which is set to launch later this year, would be the best bet for WWE. TV industry sources recently reported to The Observer that Peacock would look at WWE to be its key initial programming to draw subscribers from the launch moving forward, which would be very similar to how ESPN+ did with UFC. With such a deal with one of these larger streaming services, WWE would be able to get significantly guaranteed money for their big money events, instead of being forced to rely on declining subscription money from the WWE Network.<br />
<div class="blogger-post-footer"><script expr:src='"http://feeds.feedburner.com/~s/Klq?i=" + data:post.url' type="text/javascript" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Kaliqo~http://www.blogger.com/profile/16883827855779815366noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7964262.post-17272352249702602652020-02-07T11:39:00.002-05:002020-02-07T12:01:25.564-05:00WWE Considering Selling Pay-Per-View Rights to ‘Major’ Streaming ServiceWWE is in talks to sell some of its video content—including pay-per-view broadcasts—to “major” streaming services, company chairman Vince McMahon said on Thursday’s earnings call. <br />
<br />
Currently, the WWE Network streaming service (which costs $9.99 per month) is home to all of the company’s pay-per-view events, as well as documentaries, series and a vast library of archival footage from WWE and other wrestling companies that have since been purchased by McMahon’s behemoth. <br />
<br />
WWE has been in the process of expanding the streaming network to include tiers of access at different price points (ranging from free to $14.99 per month). The tiered Network offerings were supposed to launch in January but were put on hold. <br />
<a name='more'></a><br />
<br />
“Well, we have a lot of options. We could continue on as we are now, with a free tier and a more enhanced paid tier,” McMahon said during the conference call, as transcribed by The Wrap. “Right now there’s no more better time to exercise the selling of our rights to all the majors who, quite frankly, all the majors are really clamoring for our content. So that could be a significant increase, obviously, in terms of revenue.”<br />
<br />
Asked whether any of WWE’s offerings would be considered “off limits” in negotiations with an outside streaming partner, WWE interim CFO Frank Riddick said everything was on the table. <br />
<br />
“There’s nothing—obviously the devil’s in the details in any of these arrangements, but at this point, there’s nothing that looks like it would be anything that stop us from doing a different type of transaction with the Network, if we chose to,” Riddick said. <br />
<br />
If WWE sells some rights to another streaming service, an announcement is expected in the first quarter of 2020, McMahon said on the call. <br />
<br />
Moving pay-per-view events—the biggest draw for potential Network subscribers—off of the Network would be a significant change in strategy for WWE. The Network launched in 2014, offering all of WWE’s monthly PPVs (including major events like WrestleMania, SummerSlam, Survivor series and the Royal Rumble) for a monthly subscription fee. Previously, pay-per-view events had been available through cable providers for $44.95 each ($54.95 for WrestleMania). All Elite Wrestling, the upstart WWE competitor funded by the billionaire Khan family, runs four pay-per-view events at an average cost $49.99. <br />
<br />
WWE Network subscriptions decreased 10% in the final quarter of 2019, WWE announced, to approximately 1.42 million. The company expects subscriptions to increase to about 1.47 million in the first quarter of 2020. <div class="blogger-post-footer"><script expr:src='"http://feeds.feedburner.com/~s/Klq?i=" + data:post.url' type="text/javascript" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Kaliqo~http://www.blogger.com/profile/16883827855779815366noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7964262.post-54799399635895614522019-08-16T18:19:00.001-04:002019-08-16T18:19:40.982-04:00Rumor Mill - WWE NXT Possibly Headed To The USA Network<p dir="ltr">It looks like the <a href="https://www.wrestlinginc.com/news/wwe-news">WWE</a> <i><a href="https://www.wrestlinginc.com/shows/5/wwe-nxt/">NXT</a></i> brand could be headed to the USA Network.</p>
<p dir="ltr">There has been a pitch over the last 48 hours for the <i>NXT</i> series to be moved to Wednesday nights on the USA Network beginning in October, according to <a href="https://pwinsider.com/">PWInsider</a>.</p>
<p dir="ltr">The idea from this recent pitch is that <i>NXT</i>would begin airing as a weekly, live two-hour series each Wednesday night, from Full Sail Live on the campus of Full Sail University in Winter Park, FL. Word is that the series would begin airing on USA on Wednesday, October 2. This could be the kickoff to the WWE vs. <a href="https://www.wrestlinginc.com/news/aew-news">AEW</a>Wednesday Night War as this is the same night that <i><a href="https://www.wrestlinginc.com/shows/2019/23/aew/">AEW</a></i> will begin airing live from 8-10pm ET on TNT.</p>
<p dir="ltr">There has been a lot of talk about <i>NXT</i> possibly moving to another network from the WWE Network as of late, with there being a feeling that we would see the black & yellow brand on FS1, to go along with WWE's SmackDown show premiering on Fox on Friday, October 2. It was believed that if <i>NXT</i> did end up on FS1, it would air as a live two-hour show each Wednesday night.</p>
<p dir="ltr">USA previously aired a special <i>NXT</i> episode on Wednesday, December 13, 2017 as a part of their WWE Week programming. That show drew 841,000 viewers.</p>
<div class="blogger-post-footer"><script expr:src='"http://feeds.feedburner.com/~s/Klq?i=" + data:post.url' type="text/javascript" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Kaliqo~http://www.blogger.com/profile/16883827855779815366noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7964262.post-12932018472323400112019-07-25T20:07:00.001-04:002019-07-25T20:07:32.068-04:00WWE Second Quarter Finances Revealed, Vince McMahon Comments<p dir="ltr">The WWE's 2019 Q2 Financial report has been released, with revenue dropping from the previous year. </p>
<p dir="ltr">According to the company's finances, the second quarter of 2019 produced $268.9 million in revenue, down 5% from the 2018 Q2 of $281.6 million. </p>
<p dir="ltr">The WWE Network now boasts 1.69 million paid subscribers, which is consistent with the company's guidelines. </p>
<p dir="ltr">The use of digital outlets like YouTube, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram increased drastically, with 324 million hours being consumed, up 22% from the previous quarter. </p>
<p dir="ltr">Digital video views also increased by 17% over the previous quarter to 9 billion.</p>
<p dir="ltr">In a conference call, WWE CEO Vince K McMahon said how this second quarter of the year had been focussed on making major changes to the company, such as recent deals with BT Sport in the UK and the upcoming Fox-SmackDown move.</p>
<p dir="ltr">He said: "<i>We completed content distribution agreements in key international markets, prepared for the next phase of our WWE Network service, and achieved steady improvement in engagement metrics</i>."</p>
<p dir="ltr">More details can be found from the company's official statement <a href="https://corporate.wwe.com/investors/news/press-releases/2019/07-25-2019-133118093">here</a>. </p>
<p dir="ltr">source: wwe</p>
<div class="blogger-post-footer"><script expr:src='"http://feeds.feedburner.com/~s/Klq?i=" + data:post.url' type="text/javascript" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Kaliqo~http://www.blogger.com/profile/16883827855779815366noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7964262.post-18041042120549438912019-07-24T18:58:00.001-04:002023-02-10T14:44:11.544-05:00 WWE Network Re-Launch Coming SoonIt looks like we're getting closer to the roll-out of the tiered version of the WWE Network. PWInsider reports that there was a lot of talk at this week's RAW and SmackDown on how the company is finally close to launching the tiered-pricing version of the Network. It's believed that various features and perks will be offered with the different subscription levels. There's no word yet on when the roll-out will begin, but word backstage is that it will happen much sooner than later.<br />
<br />
WWE Co-President George Barrios noted during the Q1 earnings call in late April that this will be a "re-launch" of the Network, something they have been working on for more than a year. Barrios said they are very excited for the new version to be released as it will introduce features that fans have been asking for. The new version will develop over the next few years and WWE is very optimistic about what it will grow into. Barrios then confirmed that the re-launch will take place in 2019 some time.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><script expr:src='"http://feeds.feedburner.com/~s/Klq?i=" + data:post.url' type="text/javascript" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Kaliqo~http://www.blogger.com/profile/16883827855779815366noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7964262.post-88753495201275796272019-06-26T18:58:00.001-04:002019-06-26T18:58:25.671-04:00WWE Network To Stream Big EVOLVE Event With WWE Stars In Action<p dir="ltr">EVOLVE's 10th Anniversary Celebration will be airing live on the <a href="https://www.wrestlinginc.com/news/wwe-news">WWE</a> Network.</p>
<p dir="ltr">EVOLVE's 10th Anniversary Celebration will air as the EVOLVE 131 event, on Saturday, July 13 from the former ECW Arena, the 2300 Arena, in Philadelphia, PA. <a href="https://2300arena.showare.com/ordertickets.asp?p=283">Tickets are on sale now</a>. The live stream on the WWE Network will begin at 8pm ET.</p>
<p dir="ltr">The special show will feature two former EVOLVE talents doing battle in the main event - WWE <i><a href="https://www.wrestlinginc.com/shows/5/wwe-nxt/">NXT</a></i> Champion <a href="https://www.wrestlinginc.com/profiles/471/adam-cole/">Adam Cole</a> vs. <a href="https://www.wrestlinginc.com/profiles/634/akira-tozawa/">Akira Tozawa</a> with the title on the line.</p>
<p dir="ltr">Matt Riddle vs. WWE Cruiserweight Champion <a href="https://www.wrestlinginc.com/profiles/673/drew-gulak/">Drew Gulak</a> in a non-title match will also take place. The event will also feature NXT's Arturo Ruas (Adrian Jaoude) and Babatunde, plus EVOLVE Champion Austin Theory and EVOLVE Tag Team Champions <a href="https://www.wrestlinginc.com/profiles/735/eddie-kingston/">Eddie Kingston</a> & Joe Gacy. A full line-up of matches will be announced soon.</p>
<p dir="ltr">"Evolve was the birthplace for many current WWE and <i>NXT</i> Superstars so it is only fitting that their 10th Anniversary Celebration will be showcased live on WWE Network," <a href="https://www.wrestlinginc.com/profiles/45/triple-h/">Triple H</a>said.</p>
<p dir="ltr">WWE began their working relationship and talent exchange with WWN Live's EVOLVE promotion back in 2015. Booker Gabe Sapolsky now works behind-the-scenes for <i>NXT</i> and the WWE Performance Center.</p>
<div class="blogger-post-footer"><script expr:src='"http://feeds.feedburner.com/~s/Klq?i=" + data:post.url' type="text/javascript" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Kaliqo~http://www.blogger.com/profile/16883827855779815366noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7964262.post-63918457724343596402019-06-03T19:35:00.001-04:002019-06-03T19:40:48.389-04:00WWE NXT Takeover Draws More Than RAW And SmackDownAs noted, Mauro Ranallo announced that Saturday's WWE NXT "Takeover: XXV" event from the Webster Bank Arena in Bridgeport, CT was sold out, but no attendance figure was given. Triple H revealed in his post-show media call that the 25th Takeover special was the highest-grossing event WWE has done at that arena.<br />
<br />
"This brand can stand on its own, and tonight was special. This was the highest-grossing WWE event we've done in this building. We've done RAW and SmackDown here, and this outdrew them."<br />
<br />
There's no word yet on the actual number of fans in attendance but the Webster Bank Arena has a capacity of 10,000 for concerts, up to 9,000 for basketball games, and around 8,400 for hockey games.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><script expr:src='"http://feeds.feedburner.com/~s/Klq?i=" + data:post.url' type="text/javascript" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Kaliqo~http://www.blogger.com/profile/16883827855779815366noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7964262.post-67914171293553522952019-05-11T15:42:00.001-04:002019-05-11T20:11:37.135-04:00WWE Issues Email To End Support For The WWE App From The Following Older DevicesWWE's statement on the WWE App and older applications future access to the app:<br />
<br />
Our goal is always to provide you with the best possible viewing experience on WWE Network. Unfortunately, several device manufacturers have stopped updating the operating system of older products, which may impact your ability to stream high-quality video. As such, the WWE Network app will no longer be available on the devices listed below starting May 21, 2019:<br />
<br />
• Amazon Fire Tablets<br />
• Apple TV – 3rd Generation and earlier models<br />
• LG – 2016 and earlier models<br />
• PlayStation 3<br />
• Samsung – 2016 and earlier models<br />
• Samsung and Sony Blu-Ray Players<br />
• Sony – non Android TVs<br />
• Windows 10 Desktop<br />
• Xbox 360<br />
<br />
You can stream WWE Network on many other supported devices. For a full list, please visit WWE Network Support.<br />
<br />
Sincerely,<br />
WWE Network Support<br />
www.wwe.com/wwenetwork<div class="blogger-post-footer"><script expr:src='"http://feeds.feedburner.com/~s/Klq?i=" + data:post.url' type="text/javascript" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Kaliqo~http://www.blogger.com/profile/16883827855779815366noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7964262.post-7566907646108500432019-05-09T07:11:00.000-04:002019-05-09T09:04:39.536-04:00WWE Announces New Triple H SpecialA new WWE Network special on Triple H will air on Saturday, June 1 after the WWE NXT "Takeover: XXV" event goes off the air from Bridgeport, CT. The special will look at The Game's recent Road to WrestleMania 35 for the No Holds Barred win over Batista.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><script expr:src='"http://feeds.feedburner.com/~s/Klq?i=" + data:post.url' type="text/javascript" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Kaliqo~http://www.blogger.com/profile/16883827855779815366noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7964262.post-29987153768929242862019-05-06T20:32:00.001-04:002019-05-06T20:32:24.983-04:00Triple H Announces 25th WWE NXT Takeover Special For Bridgeport, Connecticut In June<p dir="ltr">Triple H has announced that the 25th <a href="https://www.wrestlinginc.com/news/wwe-news">WWE</a><a href="https://www.wrestlinginc.com/shows/5/wwe-nxt/"><i>NXT</i></a> <a href="https://www.wrestlinginc.com/events/2019/431/nxt-takeover-phoenix/"><i>Takeover</i></a> event will take place from the Webster Arena in Bridgeport, Connecticut.</p>
<p dir="ltr">He wrote, "Florida, Toronto, Los Angeles, London, Chicago, Texas, BROOKLYN, Phoenix, Philly, New Orleans... ...to our TWENTY-FIFTH take over. <a href="https://twitter.com/WWENXT">@WWENXT</a> #NXTTakeOver: XXV is LIVE from the <a href="https://twitter.com/Webster_Arena">@Webster_Arena</a> Sat, June 1, 2019."</p>
<p dir="ltr">"Takeover: Bridgeport" or "Takeover: XXV" will take place on Saturday, June 1 from the Webster Arena. Tickets go on sale at 10am ET this Friday via NXTTickets.com.</p>
<div class="blogger-post-footer"><script expr:src='"http://feeds.feedburner.com/~s/Klq?i=" + data:post.url' type="text/javascript" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Kaliqo~http://www.blogger.com/profile/16883827855779815366noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7964262.post-73123569157336456032019-05-01T17:48:00.001-04:002019-05-02T01:38:02.211-04:00WWE Confirms Bill Goldberg, Brock Lesnar and Undertaker for Upcoming Saudi Arabian PPV<p dir="ltr">The following press release <a href="https://www.wwe.com/worldwide/article/wwe-superstars-return-to-jeddah-june-2019?utm_source=t.co&utm_medium=referral">comes from WWE.com</a>:</p>
<blockquote><p dir="ltr"><b><i>RIYADH, SAUDI ARABIA and STAMFORD, Conn. —</i></b><i> The Saudi General Sports Authority, in partnership with WWE, will host an event at the King Abdullah Sports City Stadium in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, on Friday, June 7, at 8 p.m. AST. The event will feature WWE Superstars Roman Reigns, Undertaker, Kofi Kingston, Braun Strowman, Seth Rollins, Goldberg, AJ Styles and Brock Lesnar, and stream live on WWE Network.</i></p>
<p dir="ltr"><i>Additional details on the event’s matches, ticket availability and pricing, and regional broadcast information will be announced in the coming weeks.</i></p>
</blockquote>
<div class="blogger-post-footer"><script expr:src='"http://feeds.feedburner.com/~s/Klq?i=" + data:post.url' type="text/javascript" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Kaliqo~http://www.blogger.com/profile/16883827855779815366noreply@blogger.com0