17 Ways WWE Has Changed Since It Was The WWF
5. Revenue
13531012018 was financially transformative for WWE, but not in ways that particularly benefited the actual consumer. Moneyed television deals and the problematic relationship with the Saudi Arabian Sports Authority saw Vince McMahon diving into McDuckian rivers of gold, but these wads of wonga were brand new in comparison to traditional takings.
Gone was the need to bring home the bacon from live events, pay-per-views or merchandise - WWE scooped over 50% of their revenue from the aforementioned deals as well as other investments and endorsements. They're still wrestling small fortunes from all of us, but our hard-earned investment no longer reflects a majority, regardless of how much a McMahon tells us we still come first.
The corporate culture changes can be largely credited to Stephanie McMahon and Triple H's gradual takeover of the operational side of the industry. Bruce Prichard returned in 2019 in a creative role, but the likes of him and the rest of the jobs-for-the-boys bunch carried over from the 1990s that The Chairman had previously kept around were gradually with leadership figures such as co-presidents Michelle Wilson and George Barrios.
From the original top table, only Kevin Dunn remains - and not coincidentally, production style is one of the few things that hasn't massively altered since the 2002 WWE shift.