Earlier today, WWE released their fourth-quarter and year-end earnings report.
Here are the highlights and takeaways:
- The company finished 2016 with $729.2 million in total revenue and $33.8 million in profits (Last year: $658.8 million in revenue & $24.1 million in profits).
- Revenue numbers are the highest in company history.
- Profits are still well below the pre-Network levels, although most projections are they will be at or ahead of those levels in 2017 due to an increase in TV rights fees and lower tax rates.
- After December, the WWE was at 1,403,000 Network subscribers, which has increased after the Royal Rumble and is expected to grow after WrestleMania 33. Right now, the number is over 1.5 million.
- U.S. subscriber numbers at year-end were 1,033,000, up from 940,000.
- The WWE Network division overall decreased in profitability for the year from $48.4 million to $36.9 million, due to increases in costs of the Network programming and a major decline in pay-per-view.
- Vince McMahon did speak on the company thinking about 205 LIVE and the U.K. based show becoming a touring brand, similar to NXT. McMahon did not offer a timetable, but did say the possibility was high.
- Live event attendance is up overall due to WWE running more live event shows, but is down overall in profitability and attendance per show.
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