During the conference call with investors yesterday morning, one question directed at George Barrios, WWE’s Chief Strategy & Financial Officer, was about the possibility of moving the main shows off television and on to a digital platform.
Barrios said that television rights is their biggest revenue stream and the most profitable revenue stream for the company. When it comes to video, they evaluate different platforms and study if those fans are using those platforms and if they are willing to consume long-form content on those particular platforms. There’s also monetization on those platforms and you have to see if the money is appropriate given the value of their content.
“Do I think a digital player will become more realistic to kind of step up into the level of right fee that we have seen from traditional players? I think, eventually, couldn’t tell you if that’s tomorrow or if it’s 5 years from now, but eventually and certainly over the last 2 years we have seen kind of a steady progression towards kind of what you are describing,” Barrios said.
He added that WWE invested a lot on different platforms and the idea is to take advantage of that eventuality when it happens.
“So, it’s a long-winded way of saying yes, could we see that happening? Absolutely,” he concluded.