Wrestling WWE IX: A Solid B+

[Vibranium]

7% cuts in staff is positive ehh?

big picture, yes

and compared to what some other big names have done this year all with employee cuts in the double digits, it sort of is

[marvell2k]

$120 million in the hole!

Was it just me who heard Vince sigh when Barrios went through the PPV buyer numbers? They practically admitted they can't meet the 1.4-1.5 subs unless they gain new fans!

[alex]

7% cuts in staff is positive ehh?

Yes actually, WWE has a rep for being bloated in corporate, and there is an asston of talent they could drop with no effect on the product.

[marvell2k]

Yes actually, WWE has a rep for being bloated in corporate, and there is an asston of talent they could drop with no effect on the product.

Tell me again how the network hasn't been a failure?

[Gryphon]

WWE issued the following:

ROGERS AND WWE ANNOUNCE LANDMARK TELEVISION AND WWE NETWORK AGREEMENT

TORONTO, July 31, 2014 – Rogers Communications and WWE (NYSE: WWE) today announced a historic 10-year broadcast and multimedia agreement, making Rogers the exclusive distributor of WWE's flagship programming in Canada through 2024. The deal extends WWE's current programming on Sportsnet 360 and includes the right to distribute WWE Network as a premium linear channel, with a preview beginning August 12.

Rogers will be the exclusive distribution partner of all WWE pay-per-view events throughout Canada and will sponsor an application to the CRTC to bring the popular WWE Network to Canada. Starting August 12, a preview of WWE Network content, including live WWE pay-per-view events, groundbreaking original series, live in-ring action, reality shows and a video-on-demand library, will be available on a subscription basis on Rogers Channel 512. Rogers will offer this WWE Network content preview subscription to all cable, satellite and IPTV providers across Canada.

Fans in Canada will receive more WWE programming than ever before through Rogers' cable and digital assets. Highlights from the new deal also include national rights for Raw®, SmackDown® and Main Event® on Sportsnet 360, Sportsnet NOW and Rogers Anyplace TV.

"This landmark deal is a win-win for WWE fans in Canada," said Scott Moore, President of NHL & Sportsnet, Rogers. "The premium WWE content offers our customers more of the programming they want, on any platform of their choosing. We are thrilled to continue our partnership with WWE, and deliver exclusive content to its passionate fan base in Canada for the next decade."

"We are excited to expand our partnership with Rogers as we look for innovative ways to grow our brand and further the reach of our programming in Canada through their vast distribution channels and marketing platforms," said Gerrit Meier, WWE Executive Vice President, International. "The structure of this new agreement demonstrates WWE's commitment to growing our brand internationally through integrated partnerships as well as the flexibility we have in rolling out WWE Network around the world."


Read more at http://www.lordsofpain.net/news/wwe/...hTyIKLwhyIv.99





As a Rogers VIP deluxe digital package subscriber, this is great for me!

[marvell2k]

They had $19.4 million in network revenue offset by $13.2 million decline in PPV.


So they're $6.2 million up, but that's before you account for all the costs they have incurred starting up and running the WWE Network.

You can see why they reallly need to start international NOW.

Also brother Gryphon you must be one of the lucky ones because tons of Canadian folks don't seem very happy about the Rogers deal.

[alex]

They had $19.4 million in network revenue offset by $13.2 million decline in PPV.


So they're $6.2 million up, but that's before you account for all the costs they have incurred starting up and running the WWE Network.

You can see why they reallly need to start international NOW.

Also brother Gryphon you must be one of the lucky ones because tons of Canadian folks don't seem very happy about the Rogers deal.

See, it;s **** like that people are ignoring.
The network revenue was greater than the decline in ppv revenue BEFORE they launch worldwide.
I want to know what the dollar amount was on that canada deal.

[marvell2k]

See, it;s **** like that people are ignoring.
The network revenue was greater than the decline in ppv revenue BEFORE they launch worldwide.
I want to know what the dollar amount was on that canada deal.

You aren't accounting for all the costs they have incurred starting up and running the network. You are being overly optimistic that the network number will grow by leaps and bounds.

[DebkoX]

Do you think we'll see more releases?

[marvell2k]

Do you think we'll see more releases?

They announced 7% cuts in staff so maybe.

[DebkoX]

They announced 7% cuts in staff so maybe.

Thats always a shame.

[marvell2k]

So...i'm not able to copy in the entire wwe financial report from today, but here's the basics.
Network has 700k subscribers, bad.
Network is launching worldwide starting mid august, good.
They didn't lose as much money as they thought (as they announced, they knew they weren't going to lose as much as they said).
They still get ppv money, even in america, people who don't want the network/can't get it legit due to being in another country.
Merch and attedence have been up.
It was actually pretty positive and full of happy news, but i think the story is going to be "OMG NEtwork dead!"

Attendance being up this year hasn't meant jack and you know it brother. Dave Meltzer even said it himself how the profits aren't actually higher with better attendance and most of that was due to all the incurred cost of running the company. You subscribe to the Observer you should have remembered this little tidbit.

[alex]

You aren't accounting for all the costs they have incurred starting up and running the network. You are being overly optimistic that the network number will grow by leaps and bounds.

Because i have no reason to not believe it won't do well worldwide.
you have been taking a negative approach at looking at it since it launched, i had no opinion because i was just enjoying the network. They are doing everything a successful company would do to grow a new branch of their business.
And start up costs aren't a constant, they are a one time sunk cost that you eventualy pay off and it is no longer an issue.

What i'm trying to get across is, the report had negative and positive, if you choose to ignore the positive to prove the narrative you already supported it's you can, you can also only look at the positive. I am looking a scenario that isn't even best case, a wwe network that can get 700k subscribers after 3 months, launching worldwide where they do have quite a bit of popularity, has the potential to do incredibly well.

A lot of anaylsis being done is being done from false starting points. Like saying "Well, 1 million people order Wrestlemania so that's the max on subscribers." is completly untrue. There were roughly 100k b ppv buyers, but they got 700k to buy the network. It's not neccesarily the same market. And the people on the board ripping on Alvarez and making fun of him for saying they need to put nitro up have no basis to say that. No research has been done to say what every person on the planet is looking for. They may get 200k subscribers when they put all the attitude era stuff up, we don't know because no one has done anything to check. There is no 1:1 comparison here, i'm reading ridiculous **** like "Well, 30k people in the uk buy the b shows so they will add 30k subscribers."
That's retarded, you don't know how the lower price point or additional content will affect the people who watch the show, or even if the only people who decide to get the network watch the current product, or did before they subscribed.

[alex]

Attendance being up this year hasn't meant jack and you know it brother. Dave Meltzer even said it himself how the profits aren't actually higher with better attendance and most of that was due to all the incurred cost of running the company. You subscribe to the Observer you should have remembered this little tidbit.

It does mean something, it means there is a slightly increased interest. People also talked about how 3 hours would kill Raw and the numbers haven't dropped, it has grown at points.

[marvell2k]

Do you own WWE stock brother?