1. WWE announces Q3 2016 Results
WWE announced their third quarter earnings for 2016 and you can read the press release below:
[/showhide]WWE® Reports Q3 2016 Results & Targets Record 2017 Adjusted OIBDA of $100 Million
STAMFORD, Conn.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–
WWE today announced financial results for its third quarter 2016. The Company reported Net income of $11.1 million, or $0.14 per diluted share, as compared to Net income of $10.4 million, or $0.14 per diluted share, in the prior year quarter.
“During the quarter, we continued to effectively execute our content strategy, which has resulted in record revenues to-date in 2016 and increased consumption across our media platforms,” said WWE Chairman & CEO Vince McMahon. “This growth illustrates meaningful progress against our long-term strategic plan and provides the foundation for achieving our 2017 financial objectives.”
George Barrios, WWE Chief Strategy & Financial Officer, stated “We achieved a 24% increase in average paid subscribers to WWE Network and generated profits that were within the range of our guidance. We expect continued year-over-year growth in subscribers and profits for the fourth quarter resulting in strong full year performance that is in-line with our previous business outlook.”
Fourth Quarter and Full Year 2016 Business Outlook
The Company projects fourth quarter Adjusted OIBDA of approximately $20 million to $24 million (Operating income of $12 million to $16 million) and average paid subscribers to WWE Network of 1.40 million (+/- 2%). The fourth quarter subscriber forecast represents an approximate 4% sequential decline from the third quarter 2016 and a 13% increase from the fourth quarter 2015. The Company also projects 2016 Adjusted OIBDA of $80 million to $84 million (Operating income of $54 million to $58 million) and average paid subscribers to WWE Network of approximately 1.42 million representing growth of 25% for the full year.3
2017 Outlook
In 2017, WWE management expects the Company to achieve another year of record revenue and has targeted Adjusted OIBDA of $100 million, which would also be an all-time record (up approximately 20% from projected 2016 Adjusted OIBDA of $80 million to $84 million), and Operating income of $70 million. Supporting the continued growth in the Company’s revenue and profits, management anticipates contractual increases in television rights fees from key distribution agreements and expects the level of WWE Network subscribers will continue to increase, albeit at a lower rate, on a year-over-year basis. As management believes there is a significant long term growth opportunity for WWE, the company plans to continue to invest in key areas to optimize WWE’s long-term performance while driving strong bottom line performance.
Providing perspective on the growth of WWE Network and the company’s targeted profit expansion, Mr. Barrios commented, “Given the current scale and leverage of WWE Network, increases in its subscribers have the potential to drive meaningful growth in revenue and profit; therefore, we define success by the achievement of sustained year-over-year increases in this measure. Based on anticipated subscriber growth, we believe we can achieve our targeted record financial results in 2017. Moreover, the continued growth of WWE Network would enable us to deliver a wider range of content, strengthening our engagement with a broadening audience of ardent fans. In addition to supporting our 2017 financial objective, growth of WWE Network would provide us with greater flexibility as the media landscape continues to evolve.”
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