WWE: WWE Network and Business Thread III [network count a "genuine disappointment"]

[M.C.G. 31]

Continue here.

Subscriptions went over 1.8m after Wrestlemania, with 1.45m paid. However, the stock price fell as investors aren't convinced this number will stick with Wrestlemania done.

Click to read more...

 

[Loosie]

Continue here.

Subscriptions went over 1.8m after Wrestlemania, with 1.45m paid. However, the stock price fell as investors aren't convinced this number will stick with Wrestlemania done.

I'd tend to agree with the investors. I'd like to see what that number becomes on the #FreeWrestleMania subscribers are done their free period.

 

[M.C.G. 31]

Oh the investors are not wrong at all. They know this pattern by now.

 

[Kimi]

I'd tend to agree with the investors. I'd like to see what that number becomes on the #FreeWrestleMania subscribers are done their free period.

The retention level is actually high for the free-month people. It's somewhere around 75% that stay on for at least another month.

 

[Kimi]

The legit attendance was 93,730. Paid gate of $17m. Both are records for the WWE. (These are Meltzer's number, he got them from the stadium people not the WWE people.)

It breaks the real attendance record, which was held by Summer Slam 1992. That show had about ~79k there. The fake record was WM3 which had ~78k. The Legit record is now higher than the fake 93k record, which is cool. There is a number of 97k floating about, but that's including staff inside the stadium.


The reason they had more than the ~85k number reported before is they used a smaller stage set up then originally planned, so they opened up a ton of extra standing room only tickets late on. All those tickets sold and it was a complete sellout. Every ticket that was put on sale was sold.


The gate of $17m is a massive jump from the $12m record before. High priced tickets in a really big stadium does that. Next year will be more expensive probably.


So there you go. It sold out, lots of people were wrong.

 

[M.C.G. 31]

I thought Meltzer said the attendance was over 97k.

 

[Kimi]

I thought Meltzer said the attendance was over 97k.

You didn't read my post.

 

[M.C.G. 31]

You didn't read my post.

Yes, I clearly did, which is why I responded.

Last I read was Meltzer (or Alvarez, per Dave) reporting 97,000 in real attendance (not staff). Maybe the staff bit came out recently but I haven't followed.

 

[DenisSamson3]

Just announced a few hours ago, WWE Fastlane Least Purchased PPV in WWE History

While the PPV Network is priority #1 for WWE, they do still sell PPV. According to The Wrestling Observer Newsletter, the WWE Fastlane PPV did 18,000 buys in North America and 25,000 buys outside of North America for a total of 43,000 buys. The show was headlined by Roman Reigns vs. Dean Ambrose vs. Brock Lesnar, fighting for a title shot against Triple H at WrestleMania. Last year the Fastlane PPV did 56,000 buys.

 

[DenisSamson3]

Does the wwe get bonuses when doing PPV's? Since they launched their streaming platform, does anyone know the revenue ratio between PPV's and Network subscriptions on a monthly basis?

 

[Voight]

Forbes prediciting this years WM will break the 'Wrestlemania Curse" i.e subscription numbers not holding up.

 

[M.C.G. 31]

Forbes prediciting this years WM will break the 'Wrestlemania Curse" i.e subscription numbers not holding up.

Considering the quality of Wrestlemania and the Raw numbers, I'd have to disagree with Forbes. I guess we'll see in a few months, though.

 

[KaseMeOutside]

Forbes prediciting this years WM will break the 'Wrestlemania Curse" i.e subscription numbers not holding up.

doubtful unless the network comes up with must see content.....we are heading into the season where none of the PPV's matter, until MITB

 

[BluesOne31]

The legit attendance was 93,730. Paid gate of $17m. Both are records for the WWE. (These are Meltzer's number, he got them from the stadium people not the WWE people.)

It breaks the real attendance record, which was held by Summer Slam 1992. That show had about ~79k there. The fake record was WM3 which had ~78k. The Legit record is now higher than the fake 93k record, which is cool. There is a number of 97k floating about, but that's including staff inside the stadium.


The reason they had more than the ~85k number reported before is they used a smaller stage set up then originally planned, so they opened up a ton of extra standing room only tickets late on. All those tickets sold and it was a complete sellout. Every ticket that was put on sale was sold.


The gate of $17m is a massive jump from the $12m record before. High priced tickets in a really big stadium does that. Next year will be more expensive probably.


So there you go. It sold out, lots of people were wrong.

People actually bought standing room only tickets for a 7 hour show...

 

[Fish on The Sand]

People actually bought standing room only tickets for a 7 hour show...

A lot of people didn't show up until after the kick off.

 

[S A W F T*]

A lot of people didn't show up until after the kick off.

********. No one wanted to miss Ryback vs. Kallisto!

 

[DD03]

A lot of people didn't show up until after the kick off.

A lot of people couldn't even get into the building until after kick off.

 

[Scandale du Jour]

Considering the quality of Wrestlemania and the Raw numbers, I'd have to disagree with Forbes. I guess we'll see in a few months, though.

Not so sure about that. All the people I talked to that are casual viewers at best liked the show.

We follow the product closely and know the booking didn't make a lot of sense, they didn't. Subscription MAY hold up... for now! When people discover that the booking doesn't make sense, they will leave.

I expect the drop off to come later. And, even then, WWE Network is a great product. Very good original shows, tons of VOD material and NXT! Those could keep people in.

 

[Loosie]

Not so sure about that. All the people I talked to that are casual viewers at best liked the show.

We follow the product closely and know the booking didn't make a lot of sense, they didn't. Subscription MAY hold up... for now! When people discover that the booking doesn't make sense, they will leave.

I expect the drop off to come later. And, even then, WWE Network is a great product. Very good original shows, tons of VOD material and NXT! Those could keep people in.

WM is the loss leader for the WWE Network?

 

[Scandale du Jour]

WM is the loss leader for the WWE Network?

No. WM gets subscribers, but they usually don't stay. People subscribe for the 10$ PPV.

 

[M.C.G. 31]

Not so sure about that. All the people I talked to that are casual viewers at best liked the show.

We follow the product closely and know the booking didn't make a lot of sense, they didn't. Subscription MAY hold up... for now! When people discover that the booking doesn't make sense, they will leave.

I expect the drop off to come later. And, even then, WWE Network is a great product. Very good original shows, tons of VOD material and NXT! Those could keep people in.

The only thing that could retain these subscribers, imo, is the international markets, notably Japan, latching on so they can get NXT with Shinsuke Nakamura there now. Domestic numbers fell when they reported updated numbers right after Wrestlemania.

I don't see WWE sustaining the numbers at their next quarterly report.

 

[Kimi]

No. WM gets subscribers, but they usually don't stay. People subscribe for the 10$ PPV.

Actually they usually do stay. They've got a high retention rate, ~75% range. It's been at 90% in the past too. But it'll be interesting to see for this show as 'Mania is different.

 

[NYRKING30]

I cancelled my sub the about an hour after Mania was over. Anybody else here do anything similar? Mania itself- depending on who you talk to or where you read your info has ranged from worst ever to top 5 worst ever to horrible to not bad to it was ok to i enjoyed it and maybe one said it was really good with bad booking. Its all over the place. Thats one of the top issues with this company.

 

[ColePens]

I just realized this year they didn't send us the little $20 thank you to WWE Shop for being a network user since the beginning. Anyone else remember that from last year?

 

[Pinkfloyd]

I just realized this year they didn't send us the little $20 thank you to WWE Shop for being a network user since the beginning. Anyone else remember that from last year?

Yup, it was how I got my last DB shirt. lol