Wrestlenomics

Wrestling stars who spike business usually do so soon after being elevated to main event status for the first time in their career. We explore this and the news of the last week or so, including: -New Japan announces its return to events -Triple H on why WWE isn't doing COVID-19 testing, and his new executive title -MLW signs with DAZN -The new free tier for the WWE Network means the end of fr...

As people across the U.S. protest racism and police brutality, we divert from the usual focus on wrestling business. Audio clip sources: -Xavier Woods, UpUpDownDown: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xmmTyEmCZpE -MVP, Chasing Glory with Lilian Garcia: https://youtube.com/watch?v=-QQM4xcLMU0 -James Baldwin: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RwhNWPLVF-Q | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nAmL3F5uylo -Dr....

Coming off news that early estimates for All Elite Wrestling's Double or Nothing pay-per-view may have been among AEW's most-bought PPVs yet, we revisit the strategy behind the WWE Network, as told by former WWE co-president Michelle Wilson. Plus Brandon Thurston talks about the Wrestlenomics formula and talks your questions! Follow on Twitter: http://twitter.com/wrestlenomics http://twitt...

How safe is it to continue running empty arena wrestling events in the United States and Florida compared to Japan or Tokyo? Brandon Thurston looks at the data around testing, cases, and deaths. What do Google searches tell us about the title reigns of WWE champions and the popularity of WWE from 2004 to the present? The latest on TV viewership, including the success of the Dark Side of the Ring s...

The latest on the pro-wrestling business during the coronavirus pandemic, discussed by Brandon Thurston. *NJPW President Harold Meij gave a statement about the state of his company. *An update on the ongoing lawsuit between former XFL CEO Oliver Luck and Vince McMahon. *What regular top stars are left for WWE? *Your questions! *And finally why it’s clearer now the WWE Network has made life more di...

It looks like WWE's going to be even more profitable than thought before, according to Brandon Thurston. Also, what's "friction"? What are breakpoints, and why are they important to assessing wrestling's popularity in the midst of the coronavirus crisis? Plus, everyone's favorite topic: is wrestling real or fake? And what are the economic consequences of the wrestling audie...

Brandon Thurston talks over the effect empty building wrestling shows are having TV viewership and whether viewers will bounce back whenever programs can return to arenas. We consider the possibility of WWE selling to a major media company, executive stock sales and the performance of major wrestling companies' YouTube channels. Follow Wrestlenomics at http://twitter.com/wrestlenomics Visit ht...

Wrestling business analyst Brandon Thurston breaks down the WWE Q1 2020 earnings call in a level of granularity as only he can. Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/wrestlenomics-radio/donations Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Brandon Thurston reviews the recent events that led up to WWE's decision to cut costs and lay off or furlough workers, as well as the recent closure and bankruptcy of Vince McMahon's XFL. May 2018: WWE discloses it received a minority stake in Alpha Entertainment related to XFL IP transaction with Alpha. https://otp.tools.investis.com/clients/us/wwe/SEC/sec-show.aspx? FilingId=12727687&amp...

Vince McMahon's latest endeavor into professional football seems to have come to an end after most XFL employees were laid off this morning. Does WWE's "cinematic" approach demonstrated at Wrestlemania have an economic relevance? What does it mean for the development of new stars? Follow Wrestlenomics at twitter.com/wrestlenomics Visit the website at wrestlenomics.com Support this...

Brandon Thurston talks about these subjects: -Knox County Mayor Glenn Jacobs on his governor's stay-home order -Predictions on how long it'll be before wrestling events will go back to normal -WWE will remain profitable despite COVID19 restrictions -WWE and AEW TV rights aren’t at risk -Wrestlemania offered as a $60 PPV on streaming platforms -Wrestlenomics dubstep math: Showing how venue...

As we remain quarantined at home, the wrestling business continues on. Brandon Thurston talks about these topics: -COVID19 risks, Roman Reigns pulls out of Wrestlemania match -Vince McMahon enters into stock sale agreement with Morgan Stanley -Is WWE’s PPV rights deal dead? -WWE COVID19 risk model -Paul Levesque’s new corporate title -How do investors and analysts think about WWE’s business? Visit...

*The latest news on COVID19's effect on the wrestling business. *Paul Levesque's new EVP title. *What are people actually referring to when they say 'attendance'? Brandon Thurston gives an overview of the most highly-attended wrestling events of modern times. Live gate (revenue generated from ticket sales) is better understood than attendance in more recent times. The most lucrativ...

Video version of this podcast: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qKoHkcaSpNc WWE withdrew its Q1 and full year 2020 guidance earlier this week due to the potential business impact of COVID-19. Brandon Thurston puts this in context and estimates how much revenue WWE generates directly from WrestleMania and what the impact would be if the event and related events are canceled. Support this podcast at...

Video version of this podcast: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FTatIcui2GI Brandon Thurston analyzes the pattern of decline in a number of WWE's key metrics. While the company has reach financial heights in recent years, its increase in revenue and profits have coincided with a decrease in revenue generated directly by consumers. The role of Vince McMahon as head of creative, the absence of Jo...

With WWE apparently ready to sell the broadcast rights to its pay-per-view events to a major streaming service, Brandon Thurston discusses possible buyers and options for how the PPVs might be offered. Plus, many interesting notes we learned from WWE's 2019 annual report. Finally, what does an increased reliance on revenue from business partners -- and a decreased reliance on revenue directly...

WWE CEO Vince McMahon told investors today there may be a "transformative" change coming to WWE business. Just one week after announcing the exit of co-presidents George Barrios and Michelle Wilson, it was revealed pay-per-view events may be moving off the WWE Network and onto a major streaming service. Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/wrestlenomics-radio/donations Advertisi...

George Barrios and Michelle Wilson are out as co-presidents of WWE. Brandon Thurston discusses the news of the exit and likely firing of the #2 and #3 corporate officers for the world’s biggest pro-wrestling company. Vince McMahon commented: “I decided a change was necessary as we have different views on how best to achieve our strategic priorities moving forward.” We take your questions, as read...

Brandon Thurston is joined by Chris Harrington to review the WWE Q3 2019 earnings report. WWE shares fell by more than 15% following Thursday's report. Multiple key metrics showed declining trends. Vince McMahon was missing from the conference call due to the event in Saudi Arabia happening the same day. WWE had to adjust its profit projection for the year but is still expected to break its co...

Brandon Thurston is joined by Chris Gullo to discuss NXT’s debut on the USA Network, viewed by 1,179,000 viewers. What does this mean for the upcoming head-to-head competition with AEW? Impact Wrestling’s parent company, Anthem, has acquired AXS TV. What are the political implications for the wrestling landscape now that Anthem owns New Japan Pro Wrestling’s U.S. broadcast? Plus, new analysis: As...

Brandon Thurston is joined by Chris Gullo to talk about the news of NXT moving to USA Network. Background reading: Press release (https://corporate.wwe.com/investors/news/press-releases/2019/08-20-2019-140343362) Showbuzzdaily: Record of WWE NXT viewership on Dec 17, 2017 (https://www.cagesideseats.com/wwe/2017/12/14/16778800/ratings-for-nxts-first-show-on-the-usa-network-are-in) Seeking Alpha not...

Brandon Thurston reviews WWE's Q2 2019 earnings report in-depth with Wrestlenomics founder Chris Harrington. In the second half of the podcast, Brandon talks with Chris Gullo and D.J. Jarka more about WWE business news and Q2 metrics from other pro-wrestling companies. WWE and Pro-Wrestling Industry Q2 2019 Info Sheet: https://payhip.com/b/zypj Brandon's Fightful article on the WWE Q2 repo...

Ahead of WWE's event in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia on Friday, we take an in-depth look at WWE's controversial and lucrative relationship with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Website: wrestlenomics.com Twitter: twitter.com/wrestlenomics  Instagram: instagram.com/wrestlenomics  Facebook: facebook.com/wrestlenomics  YouTube: youtube.com/channel/UCD_WfonwdEwz91hcv3Mhsog  Reddit: reddit.com/r/wrestlenom...

VIDEO VERSION: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f6-x-33dXtY ------------------ Notes document: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1EnXLg8XNl-fRaa-LntJn9S2zi92LjeRHHByiU1SR-kE/edit?usp=sharing ------------------ Website: wrestlenomics.com Twitter: twitter.com/wrestlenomics Instagram: instagram.com/wrestlenomics Facebook: facebook.com/wrestlenomics YouTube: youtube.com/channel/UCD_WfonwdEwz91hcv3Mhso...

Website: wrestlenomics.com Twitter: twitter.com/wrestlenomics  Instagram: instagram.com/wrestlenomics  Facebook: facebook.com/wrestlenomics  YouTube: youtube.com/channel/UCD_WfonwdEwz91hcv3Mhsog  Reddit: reddit.com/r/wrestlenomics/  Brandon's Twitter: twitter.com/brandonthurston  Brandon's Instagram: instagram.com/farmer_thurston * * * **References:** Full John Oliver WWE segment: https://...