Financial Times: "WWE Stock Slammed As Ticket Sales And TV Ratings Drop"

[Prince Akeem]

I haven't used the word "bubble," but I've been saying that they're going to have real problems 5-10 years down the line once the live sports rights fees bubble bursts for a very long time now. Idiot proofing the business side of the company is keeping them afloat, but that can only do so much when they care so little for being a wrestling company.

And if Fox sees the shyt they're pulling with SmackDown and cancels them (because Bonnie Hammer can't protect him there like she could with USA and NBCUniversal)? Then you're going to start to see some real fallout.

The FOX deal was sold on them having Ronda full time and it looks like she is off to start a family. That FOX money already looking funny in the light.

 

[Saysumthinfunnymike]

Nobody wanna see big stiffs like Lars Sullivan and generic blondes all over the place. Top of the card lacks diversity and it's shyt booking.. Vince is done, put him in a home.

 

[Francis White]

Roman needs to be demoted. Charlotte needs to fall back. Vince really needs to listen to the fans and have real legitimate feuds. Not this fake crap. Miz and Shane should be a blood feud.

 

[ThisIsLife]

Everything is wrong with the WWE. They need a serious revamp if they want to improve the numbers and quality, starting with the head of that circus.

 

[Tres Leches]

not surprised their new top guy said he was going to "Burn it Down" and I believe him

 

[Mantis Toboggan M.D.]

It’s been painfully obvious that their model isn’t sustainable. Open hostility to the workers and paying customers, a creatively bankrupt show, and making a point to minimize star power in hopes of making the brand the draw was always going to backfire. Add in the bad press of taking the blood money from the saudis and it’s only gonna get worse.

They've had successful quarters even with his non-existent presence. The biggest problem has been WWE's open contempt for their fanbase and their employees. The treatment of Luke Harper and Sasha Banks will further amplify WWE's open hostility.

What’s going on with Harper? I assume they’re freezing his deal and refusing to let him out like with Sasha, Neville, Rey, and Bryan

I haven't used the word "bubble," but I've been saying that they're going to have real problems 5-10 years down the line once the live sports rights fees bubble bursts for a very long time now. Idiot proofing the business side of the company is keeping them afloat, but that can only do so much when they care so little for being a wrestling company.

And if Fox sees the shyt they're pulling with SmackDown and cancels them (because Bonnie Hammer can't protect him there like she could with USA and NBCUniversal)? Then you're going to start to see some real fallout.

Ultimately this is what will sink them. They’re a wrestling promotion, and Vince wants to be anything but that. That’s his audience, and chasing them away will do him in. The live tv bubble won’t last much longer. They’ll have to put a good show on and not take the audience for granted. Otherwise it’s gonna all come crumbling down at some point.

 

[Sghost597]

Only thing I can think of as motivation behind having them is :

- small town family takes their kids
- those kids have a live experience that makes them fans
- new set of eyes watching their programming every week, and asking mommy/daddy to buy merch

But they'll run house shows on the same night as their TV programs .. shyt never made sense.b

 

[cartierhoe]

nWg across the belly

Dumb nikkas said we was a myth

 

[Berniewood Hogan]

has anybody attended a WWE show recently? i went to a smackdown several years ago and it just wasn't fun. at all. took non-wrestling fans with me like "no, it's a great live show, you'll have a blast" and it just wasn't.... good. it wasn't fun. the old lady two rows behind me was having the night of her life, though. 100% marking for the babies and booing the heels.

the lucha underground taping i attended was heaven on earth, by comparison. Pentagon is THAT dude, brehs.

my point being, if even your live show isn't fun to be at, as a wrestling promotion, you're looking at a WCW in 2001 situation.

 

[RammerJammer]

has anybody attended a WWE show recently? i went to a smackdown several years ago and it just wasn't fun. at all. took non-wrestling fans with me like "no, it's a great live show, you'll have a blast" and it just wasn't.... good. it wasn't fun. the old lady two rows behind me was having the night of her life, though. 100% marking for the babies and booing the heels.

the lucha underground taping i attended was heaven on earth, by comparison. Pentagon is THAT dude, brehs.

my point being, if even your live show isn't fun to be at, as a wrestling promotion, you're looking at a WCW in 2001 situation.

I’ve been to three house shows going back to 2013 and to be honest, the one I had the most fun at was the 2013 one, saw Cena, Punk, and the Shield.

 

[MenacingMonk]

Well, it took some time.

 

[CrossBones]

The McMahon`s, and HHH promised change late last year. Since then, It`s been the same boring ass show.


They`re still over pushing Charlotte, other blondes, and Roman. We all know Charlotte, and Roman are getting them titles back much sooner, rather than later.

Most matches are pointless, has no meaning to them, and main events doesn`t even feel like main events anymore.

It's messed up because they've created a system where they will throw bones at the fan favorites or workers who are liked backstage via some hot shot title reigns. Naomi, Sasha, Asuka, Bayley, etc have all held their belts for a blink of an eye and lost them as soon as booking could get it off their waists. If you're not one of the "Chosen Few" you're likely to lose a big feud, lose your belt, and get weirdly de-pushed afterwards. Sasha saw the writing on the wall after the fifth time. There were plans for a big title run which got thrown out the window for whatever reason and that said it all. Why give out belts if you don't have any plans for the champion to make it mean something? Where is the important feud that makes them both look like it was hard fought? They'd rather give out charity belts to make everyone feel special.


Most of these title reigns look forced and half assed. Anyone can get it, then lose it, and head straight down to the lower card. The same could be said for Dolph, Bray, and Zach Ryder, guys who tried their best to get over but got halted by the brass. They go "Here's your belt" but it's gone before it even meant anything. Why even bother?





SMH from 50-50 booking in the undercard to title reigns that mean nothing, it's been really funny how they've manipulated their own talent and the fans. Vince is a twisted carny yall. Every time it looks like you're getting what you want it's really just a thin veiled gesture that's meant to lead you back to the stars THEY WANT YOU TO CHEER. The audience still thinks its the other way around but it ain't.

 

[Mr. Manhattan]

NXT style is the product people wanna see. Fun wrestling matches with faster pace
not a entertainment hub with talented wrestlers

 

[The Intergalactic Koala]

The bubble will burst very soon

I been saying this shyt for ages and it's slowly coming together. Here's the following that's going to happen:

• The Fox deal going to crumble because "lolz wrestling"
• AEW maybe MORE than just a t shirt company that can't fill those asses into seats
• AEW getting a major deal that will piss Vince off (see bullet 2)
• Trump money ties will end up being a domino effect ()
• A law suit that will finally stick (Harper, Banks, and another "famous" wrestler will actually kick the thing off)

Trust, this is just the beginning and this goes beyond bad ratings

 

[Swiggy]

IN