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On November 4, 2021, WWE released details of their Third Quarter 2021 Earnings. Then there was a traditional conference.
WWE Chairman Vince McMahon, WWE President Nick Khan, and Chief Brand Officer Stephanie McMahon attended the conference, among others.
After a turbulent year due to the Covid-19 pandemic, WWE reported that they achieved a revenue of $255.8 million, which was better than they anticipated. Sadly, on the same day as announcing the figures, the company made several talent cuts to their roster.
That being said, let's look at six things we learned from the WWE Q3 Earnings conference call.
#6 Early previews of the Vince McMahon WWE docuseries for Netflix are "out of this world"
Netflix is producing a Vince McMahon docuseries. It is set to have four episodes and will focus on the life of the WWE Chairman.
Chief Brand Officer Stephanie McMahon recently spoke about the docuseries:
"For the first time ever, there is a four-part documentary on the life of my father Vince McMahon and it's going to be on Netflix. It's a really big deal. I'm totally nervous about it because I want to protect my dad, not that he wants to be protected. It's going to be incredible. There's no one like my father. The courage, the guts, and a take no prisoners attitude; that was my dad." Stephanie McMahon said. (h/t Comic Book)
Last year WWE President Nick Khan confirmed it was one of Netflix's most expensive docuseries. During the Q3 Earnings conference call, he provided an update, stating the docuseries is definitely the one to look forward to. Khan noted that the previews he had seen were "out of this world."
#5 NXT 2.0 coming along just the way they want it
In the summer, WWE revamped the NXT into NXT 2.0. The black-and-gold theme was removed with a more vibrant, colorful standout theme. Vince McMahon and Bruce Prichard are reportedly taking a more hands-on approach with the brand.
As Nick Khan noted in the conference call, the revamp is starting to go the way they want it. The company wants a younger, fresher, in-ring approach, and they think they have it. He also mentioned that more young talent was being called up, with Triple H and Bruce Prichard overseeing recruitment.
#4 Brock Lesnar's return broke a record on WWE's Instagram
WWE Chief Brand Officer Stephanie McMahon revealed some details about one of the latest records that had been broken. She confirmed that Lesnar's return garnered 4.5 million views on WWE's Instagram, breaking the previous record for the most viewed video.
The Beast Incarnate made a huge impact when he returned to SummerSlam pay-per-view in August. He returned for the first time since WrestleMania 36 and confronted Universal Champion Roman Reigns.
#3 John Cena shifted merchandise and moved ratings in the younger demographic this summer
WWE dubbed this summer as the "Summer of Cena." It marked John Cena's return to WWE for several shows, including main-eventing SummerSlam in August against Roman Reigns.
In the conference call, Stephanie McMahon called it a strategic move. WWE's merch sales were up 155% from last year. She disclosed that Cena became their top merchandise seller during this period, specifically with the younger audience.
Stephanie also confirmed that Cena increased ratings in the younger demographics when he appeared on RAW and SmackDown by 20% and 10%, respectively.
All in all, the "Summer of Cena" can be dubbed a success.
#2 WWE is moving from an arena model to a stadium model for larger events
As you may have noticed on the WWE pay-per-view calendar for 2022, there are a handful of stadium events, including WrestleMania, Money in the Bank, and SummerSlam.
WWE Chief Brand Officer Stephanie McMahon confirmed the company is moving from an arena-based touring model to a stadium-based model, allowing more focus on their tentpole shows. Nick Khan also confirmed that the move was made to attract more fans to larger events.
The call also confirmed that the company wanted to make each pay-per-view a special event, with exciting things happening every time.
#1 Money in the Bank is now considered in the "big five" of WWE pay-per-views
Earlier this summer, WWE announced that next year's Money in the Bank pay-per-view will be held at the Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas. For the first time, the event will emanate from a stadium.
The event itself has become one of WWE's most popular shows. It includes two Money in the Bank ladder matches for the men's and women's divisions, respectively. The event also has great significance for storylines moving forward.
Nick Khan confirmed that Money in the Bank is now considered one of WWE's "big five" pay-per-views of the year. They hope this acknowledgement will bring a larger audience to the event.
