WWE announced that it closed 2021 with $1.095 billion in revenue, the highest level in the company”™s history.
In its latest earnings report, the Stamford-headquartered WWE said its 2021 revenue represented a 12% increase from the $974.2 million in revenue generated during 2020.
The company attributed the revenue stream growth to a spike in ticket and venue merchandise sales resulting from the resumption of its live events during the second half of 2021. It also cited an “the contractual escalation of core content rights fees” associated its”™ Raw and SmackDown programming along with an increase in network revenue from its first quarter deal with the Peacock streaming service.
“We ended the year with strong performance across each of our business lines that reflected the engagement of a wider audience with distribution on new digital platforms, including Peacock, and the return of fans at our live events,” said Vince McMahon, WWE chairman and CEO. “We expect the execution of key initiatives in the coming year, such as the licensing of network content in international markets, monetization of new original series, and the continued shift to a stadium strategy for WWE”™s premium live events, will further expand the reach of our brands and enhance the value of our content.”
Photo: WWE star Roman Reigns, courtesy of WWE.
