• WWE Explains Why Their Q1 Revenue Decreased By $35.8 Million
WWE announced First Quarter 2023 Results today and they reported a revenue of $297.6 million, which is $35.8 million less than the Q1 revenue of 2022.
This was because Elimination Chamber took place in Saudi Arabia in February 2022, while this February’s Elimination Chamber didn’t, so that affected the revenue numbers.
WWE makes a huge amount of money from their Saudi Arabia shows. Their first Saudi show of 2023 will fall in Q2, as Night Of Champions will be in Saudi Arabia on May 27th.
Below are the highlights that WWE shared:
– Revenue was $297.6 million; Operating income was $53.1 million; and Adjusted OIBDA was $84.2 million.
– Returned $8.9 million of capital to shareholders through dividend payments.
– Each WWE premium live event (Royal Rumble and Elimination Chamber) set domestic unique viewership records with year-over-year increases of 52% and 54%, respectively.
– Viewership for WWE’s weekly flagship programs, RAW and SmackDown, both increased 7%, significantly outperforming overall cable and broadcast television, which declined 15% and 6%, respectively.
– North American Live Events ticket sales revenue increased 52% over the prior year period, reflecting a 37% increase in average attendance.
– In April, WWE announced an expansion of its partnership with Fanatics, with Fanatics assuming management of WWE’s on-site event merchandise business as of May 1, 2023.
WrestleMania Highlights (April 1-2, 2023):
– WrestleMania was held at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles over two consecutive nights in front of a combined 161,892 fans and generating a gate of $21.6 million. WrestleMania was WWE’s highest-grossing and most-attended event in company history.
– WrestleMania was the most viewed WWE premium live event of all time. Global unique viewership increased 29% and domestic unique viewership increased 31% year-over-year.
– WrestleMania sponsorship revenue exceeded $20 million, more than double the previous record set in the prior year.
– WrestleMania was the most social WWE event of all-time, generating over 500 million views and 11 million hours of video consumed over the two days, a 42% increase over the prior year.
– WrestleMania merchandise sales increased 20% versus the previous record set in the prior year.
New Video: Former WWE Diva Cameron (Ariane Andrew) Exposes Her Buns (Part 1):
• On This Day In Pro Wrestling History (May 3, 1986) – WWF Saturday Night’s Main Event 6
On this day in Pro Wrestling history on May 3, 1986, the World Wrestling Federation aired ‘WWF Saturday Night’s Main Event 25’ on NBC.
The entire event was originally taped on May 1st 1986 at the Providence Civic Center in Providence, Rhode Island.
Here are the results:
Hulk Hogan & Junkyard Dog defeated Terry Funk & Hoss Funk (Dory Funk Jr.)
King Kong Bundy defeated Uncle Elmer
Adrian Adonis defeated Paul Orndorff by DQ
Jake Roberts wrestled Ricky Steamboat to a no-contest
2-out-of-3-falls – WWF Tag Team Championship: The British Bulldogs (c) defeated Nikolai Volkoff & The Iron Sheik
