The Figures

[Guest RavishingRickRudo]

For Anyone Interested:

 

Fiscal Year Ended April 30, 2003 compared to Fiscal Year Ended April 30, 2002

 

Net revenues:

Live & Televised: $295.4 // $323.5 (9%)

Branded Merchandise $ 78.9 // $ 86.1 (8%)

Total: $374.3 $409.6 (9%)

 

The following chart reflects comparative revenues and key drivers for each of the businesses within our live and televised segment:

 

 

Live & Televised Revenues

 

Live Events: $72.2 // $ 74.1 (3%)

Number of Event: 327 // 237 +38%

Average Attendance: 5,551 // 8,562 (35%)

Average Ticket Price: $ 38.82 // $ 35.69 +9%

 

Pay-Per-View: $ 91.1 // $ 112.0 (19%)

Number of Domestic Buys: 5,378,100 // 7,135,464 (25%)

Retail Price,excluding Wrestlemania: $ 29.95 // $ 24.95 +20%

 

Advertising: $72.9 // $83.6 (13%)

Average weekly household ratings for Raw: 3.7 // 4.6 (20%)

Average weekly household ratings for SmackDown!: 3.4 // 4.0 (15%)

Sponsorship revenues: $8.7 // $13.2 (34%)

 

Television Rights Fees:

Domestic: $38.8 // $35.0 +11%

International: $19.7 // $18.3 +8%

 

The following chart reflects comparative revenues and certain drivers for selected business within our branded merchandise segment:

 

Branded Merchandise Revenues:

Licensing: $21.8 // $24.4 (11%)

Merchandise: $22.4 // $26.2 (14%)

Per Capita Spending: $9.15 // $8.48 +8%

 

Publishing: $15.2 // $16.3 (7%)

Net Units sold: 6,427,500 // 6,867,700 (6%)

 

Home Video: $13.8 // $13.6 +1%

Net Units sold:

DVD: 916,200 // 625,900 +46%

VHS: 466,800 // 1,041,200 (55%)

 

Internet Advertising: $4.9 // $4.4 +11%

 

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1998-1999: # of Events: 199, Total Attendance: 2,273,701, Domestic PPV Buys: 5,365,100

 

11426 people per show

 

1999-2000: # of Events: 206 (+3%), TA: 2,485,100 (+9%), DPPVB: 6,884,600 (+22%)

 

12064 people per show (+6%)

 

2000-2001: # of Events: 212 (+6.5%), TA: 2,449,800 (-1%), DPPVB: 8,010,400 (+16%)

 

11556 people per show (-5%)

 

2001-2002: # of Events: 237 (+12%), TA: 2,032,754 (-17%), DPPVB: 7,135,464 (-11%)

 

8577 people per show (-26%)

 

2002-2003: # of Events: 327 (+38%), TA: 1,815,100 (-11%), DPPVB: 5,378,100 (-25%)

 

5551 people per show (-35%)

[Guest Choken One]

Can someone explain this to me in Layman's terms...

 

IS IT GOOD OR BAD? Simple as that.

[Guest Kotzenjunge]

It could have been worse, but they did indeed lose a good bit this past year.

[Lil' Bitch 0]

Its bad, but its not as bad as everyone makes it seem to be.

[Guest RavishingRickRudo]

Jesus Christ that WAS laymans terms!

 

Fiscal Year Ended April 30, 2003 compared to Fiscal Year Ended April 30, 2002

 

This means that the end of the WWE's fiscal year (as opposed to calender year, financial periods can be different from company to company - the WWE has theirs from the end of April 02 to the end of April 03 - they just released their annual statement to the public) the WWE has to give their findings to the public since they are a publically traded company.

 

Net revenues:

Live & Televised: $295.4 // $323.5 (9%)

Branded Merchandise $ 78.9 // $ 86.1 (8%)

Total: $374.3 $409.6 (9%)

 

The two key "drivers" of the WWE are separated into "Live and Televised Events" and "Branded Merch". The WWE has lost 9% of the revenue they had last year (bad) overall in Events and 8% in Merch. This is the first year that the company has recorded a loss of money (very bad - especially considering that 2 years ago they were hitting their highest of highs). Overall they were down 9% from where they were last year.

 

The following chart reflects comparative revenues and key drivers for each of the businesses within our live and televised segment:

 

This is comparing what they made this year vs. what they made last year. Brackets ( ) mean a loss and + means a gain.

 

Live & Televised Revenues

 

Live Events: $72.2 // $ 74.1 (3%)

 

This is especially bad since they increased the number of their live events which should have put them over last years.

 

Number of Event: 327 // 237 +38%

 

See? They had 90 more events and STILL made less money. That shows a severe drop in attendance.

 

Average Attendance: 5,551 // 8,562 (35%)

 

As evidenced here. They have 3000 less people going to each event than they did last year.

 

Average Ticket Price: $ 38.82 // $ 35.69 +9%

 

This makes the Live Event revenue number seem even WORSE now since not only did they increase live events by 90 shows but they increased the price by 3 bucks.

 

Pay-Per-View: $ 91.1 // $ 112.0 (19%)

Number of Domestic Buys: 5,378,100 // 7,135,464 (25%)

Retail Price,excluding Wrestlemania: $ 29.95 // $ 24.95 +20%

 

They raised prices by 5 dollars and they still didn't get 1/5th of the buys they did from April 2001 to April 2002. 1/4 of the people who bought PPV's last year aren't buying them now.

 

Average weekly household ratings for Raw: 3.7 // 4.6 (20%)

Average weekly household ratings for SmackDown!: 3.4 // 4.0 (15%)

 

Raw's ratings have gone down more than smackdowns and Smackdown is seen in more homes than Raw. Since Raw is their 'franchise' program, this should worry them. 1/5th the people who watched last year aren't watching now.

 

Sponsorship revenues: $8.7 // $13.2 (34%)

Advertising: $72.9 // $83.6 (13%)

 

This shows that outside companies don't see the WWE as the place to sell their stuff. The sponsorship number particularly is worrying as they are the ones who get their names said the most (snickers brings to you Wrestlemania...etc)

 

Television Rights Fees:

Domestic: $38.8 // $35.0 +11%

International: $19.7 // $18.3 +8%

 

How much they get paid to air their shows on a particular network. I don't really know too much about this as it has alot to do with the WWE's contracts with cable companies and whatnot. So for all we know this is indicative of a deal made in 2001 rather than 2002.

 

Branded Merchandise Revenues:

Licensing: $21.8 // $24.4 (11%)

Merchandise: $22.4 // $26.2 (14%)

Per Capita Spending: $9.15 // $8.48 +8%

 

The amount of money they get for licensing their name and their their toys and everything has gone down. However individually, people are buying more... I think... I'm not too big on Merchandising... not my field.

 

Publishing: $15.2 // $16.3 (7%)

Net Units sold: 6,427,500 // 6,867,700 (6%)

 

Books and Mags; 400 000 less were sold this year. They haven't really done anything differently with their 2 magazines, so I can't really attribute any certain 'thing' to the decline. However, with Hogans books and Lawlers book out, this number has to be disappointing.

 

Home Video: $13.8 // $13.6 +1%

Net Units sold:

DVD: 916,200 // 625,900 +46%

VHS: 466,800 // 1,041,200 (55%)

 

This is what I find really interesting. They sold half the VHS they did last year, but sold 46% more DVD's. The DVD market is one to definitely capitalize on, because while the fans might not buy PPVs, or buy Clothes or whatever, they WILL buy wrestling if it's good. The Hulk Rules DVD was probably the big seller considering it was a 2 disc set. Though I still do find them on store shelves. This is certainly a growth market that the WWE should dive right into -especially with their wide video library.

 

Internet Advertising: $4.9 // $4.4 +11%

 

This is an interesting figure, it's the only form of advertising that is up from previous years. It is significantly lower than Television advertising and isn't as big as sponsorship, but it's a growth business and should be looked into. The WWE get's like 6 million unique vistors btw.

 

The next part is really the meat-and-potatoes, it shows the WWE's progress since becoming a publically traded company.

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1998-1999: # of Events: 199, Total Attendance: 2,273,701, Domestic PPV Buys: 5,365,100

 

11426 people per show

 

This was post-Tyson, the WWE was starting to really rise, Austin was on top, WCW was still strong competition. It is really interesting to note that the WWE is getting around the same PPV buys as they were at this time, BUT their live attendance has been cut in HALF. So what this says is that the same amount of fans were buying PPV's but aren't willing to go to the live events (see; house shows) That really says something.

 

1999-2000: # of Events: 206 (+3%), TA: 2,485,100 (+9%), DPPVB: 6,884,600 (+22%)

 

12064 people per show (+6%)

 

This was the WWE's peak in terms of attendance. Going out to a WWE event was the cool thing to do. This number pretty much well is a sell-out. They were selling out house shows... yep, wrap your mind around THAT.

 

2000-2001: # of Events: 212 (+6.5%), TA: 2,449,800 (-1%), DPPVB: 8,010,400 (+16%)

 

11556 people per show (-5%)

 

Attendance takes a small dip. Less people per show BUT more shows than less people (+6.5 vs. -5.0) which means the company was still strong. PPV buys have hit their peak (some really good-great PPV's came out around this time - WM 17 probably was the major factor).

 

2001-2002: # of Events: 237 (+12%), TA: 2,032,754 (-17%), DPPVB: 7,135,464 (-11%)

 

8577 people per show (-26%)

 

This is where they really hit a low. Less people going to the shows and less people buying the shows. They lost a 1/4 of their audience here in terms of house shows and house shows are usually the first to go. When your fans don't want to see you live when the cameras are not on, then your product sucks.

 

2002-2003: # of Events: 327 (+38%), TA: 1,815,100 (-11%), DPPVB: 5,378,100 (-25%)

 

5551 people per show (-35%)

 

This is the lowest point, 400 000 less people than in 98 going to the shows, the same amount of PPV buys as 98 but they lost 2 freakin million people from the previous year, and live events take a nose-dive... dispite increasing the amount by 90.