7 Things We Learned From WWE's Q3 Earnings Conference Call
3. Women's Wrestling Remains A Focus
WWE's Women's Revolution exploded in 2016, but hasn't demonstrated much onscreen progression Raw and SmackDown this year. The blue brand's division has become a disjointed mess of faceless multi-person feuds, while Monday nights have suffered greatly without an in-ring feud as strong as Charlotte Flair vs. Sasha Banks, despite the rise of Alexa Bliss.
Creatively, the Revolution has stalled, but WWE still believe it is accelerating in business terms. Wilson stated that female talents now comprise 35% of WWE's talent roster. She gave Triple H kudos for assisting that growth, and cited women's wrestling's success in attracting social media engagements and TV ratings. Sadly, Wilson didn't provide any data to quantify her statement.
The Chief Revenue & Marketing Officer continued by saying WWE will continue investing in women's wrestling, and noted that the Mae Young Classic's viewership was comparable to similar events within the men's division (the Cruiserweight Classic and UK Championship Tournament, presumably). They have been greatly encouraged by the feedback they've received from their business partners and the audience, and remain dedicated to expanding women's wrestling's scope and importance.
This will sound particularly encouraging to those disappointed with the division's direction in 2017. Let's hope the writing team are able to match WWE's business commitment with stronger televised content.