6 Things We Learned From WWE's Fourth Quarter Earnings
1. Vince Is Happy With The Brand Split
Vince McMahon and George Barrios closed their call by speaking briefly on the revived Brand Split, and both are satisfied with how things have panned out.
Barrios states that there’s increased fan interest heading into WrestleMania 33, particularly compared to last year. He gives partial credit to the “Goldberg effect,” but McMahon added that “no one talent keeps the big WWE wheel” turning, and attributes much of their increased momentum to the split.
It allowed WWE to run an increased live event schedule in 2016, and Barrios stated that they may decide to expand further in 2017. The jump in house shows resulted in a 16% increase in live event revenue from 2015 to 2016, and McMahon states that the split rosters have given WWE more freedom in terms of matches and storylines.
As well as improving SmackDown’s all-round popularity, McMahon states that the split has brought an increase in inter-brand crossover viewership, which is exactly what they wanted. Citing Roman Reigns moving to SmackDown as an example, McMahon discussed the possibility of talent jumping from brand to brand in 2017, and added that the increase airtime offered by the split means increased opportunities for wrestlers to climb the ladder.