WWE quarterly numbers strong
On Tuesday, the WWE released its financial numbers for the first quarter of 2016, and the results were a positive for the company.
Net income for the period of January through March was $13.9 million, or $0.18 per share, as compared to the first quarter from 2015 when the net income was $9.8 million, or $0.13 per share.
Vince McMahon released a statement in the report.
鈥淥ur strong performance in the first quarter reflected the successful execution of our content strategy,鈥� he said. 鈥淭he sustained year-over-year growth of WWE Network, the global consumption of our video content across all platforms, and the record breaking attraction of WrestleMania demonstrate the increasing strength of our brands.
鈥淲e believe we can continue to leverage these strengths to drive long-term growth.鈥�
George Barrios, Chief Strategy and Financial Officer, also shared his thoughts.
鈥淥ur earnings growth was driven primarily by the increased monetization of our network and television content as well as higher licensing revenue from our franchise video game.
鈥淥ver the next year, we will continue to focus on producing engaging content across all platforms, investing in emerging markets, and developing technology across the enterprise to drive our long-term growth.鈥�
A big boost was provided by the 39% increase of paid subscribers to the WWE network.
Also, the WWE蘑菇视频 Youtube channel reached 11 million subscribers and achieved Diamond Play Button status, joining Taylor Swift and Justin Bieber.
Triple H signs new deal
The WWE and Triple H came to an agreement on a new three-year deal as an on-air talent.
The deal was signed on May 9 after his previous deal expired on March 30.
More WWE releases; even more coming?
When the WWE released several performers last week, two names slipped through the cracks.
Christian and Steve Lombardi were also released.
In the case of Christian, he was released from his performer蘑菇视频 contract, but is still under a deal for the Edge and Christian show.
He has not wrestled since suffering a concussion in March, 2014.
Some of the younger readers of this column are probably wondering, 鈥淲ho is Steve Lombardi?鈥�
Lombardi performed as the Brooklyn Brawler and a few other characters over the years.
He has worked backstage for years and was with the company for over 30 years.
The word backstage is that more cuts may be coming later this month.
Word is that the company may wait until after Extreme Rules to make the cuts, if they do indeed happen.
While it is not fair for names to be given in this column before cuts happen, there could be one or two more surprising releases.
Adam Rose suspended indefinitely
It has not been a good few weeks for Adam Rose.
First, he was suspended for 60 days after failing the WWE Wellness Policy for a second time.
Now, he is facing legal issues as he was arrested at 1:30 Wednesday morning and charged with tampering with a witness and battery domestic violence.
Later that day, the WWE suspended him indefinitely.
Don鈥檛 be surprised if the Social Outcast member is released soon.
Writing moves for NXT, WWE
Joe Belcastro is the new head writer for NXT, replacing Ryan Ward.
The former is a former writer for the Tampa Tribune, while the latter has been promoted to working on Raw and Smackdown after receiving high praises for his work in NXT.
This week蘑菇视频 question
鈥淲ith John Cena returning, are Roman Reigns鈥� days as champ numbered?鈥� 鈥� Jeremy, West Newton.
I would not necessarily say that Roman蘑菇视频 reign, pun intended, will be shortened now that John Cena is set to return on Memorial Day.
Cena has reached the point that he does not need the title to be the man, and with the WWE drastically trying to make Reigns the new face of the company, I see Reigns holding onto the title through the feud.
Could Cena win it from Reigns?
Absolutely, but with several stars set to return to the company, putting the title on Cena is not the best move.
WWE has shifted its movement towards the future and a Cena title win would be a step backwards to the days of yesteryear.
Granted, Triple H just had a two-plus month title reign, but it was only because of all of the injuries to top stars.
Email questions/comments to Bill at powerhousehughes@gmail.com.