5 things we learned from the WWE Q4 earnings conference call 

On February 3, 2022, WWE released details of their Fourth Quarter (Q4) 2021 Earnings, as well as their Full Year 2021 Report, in which they made company history.

Chairman & CEO Vince McMahon, President Nick Khan, and Chief Brand Officer Stephanie McMahon, among others, attended the traditional conference call that took place after the release of the details to comment on the reports.

Of course, fans will get wrapped up with what is happening on-screen, and that's what they mostly care about. However, on the business side of things, the company appears to be going from strength to strength.

As well as details of financials for 2021 being released, Vince McMahon also weighed in on the outlook for this coming year:

"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." (h/t WWE Corporate)

So how did the company make history this time around? Let's take a look at five things we learned from the WWE Q4 earnings conference call.

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#5 WWE made company history as they grossed over $1 billion in revenue

That's right, WWE hit over $1 billion in revenue for 2021. It's an astronomical number, and just shows the kind of deals the company has in place right now bringing such an amount.

Of course, it doesn't mean that Vince McMahon's promotion now has $1 billion in the bank. This is only revenue and not their overall profit for the year.

However, when you take into account their current television deals with USA and FOX, and also the annual fees from the Saudi General Sports Authority for their spectacular shows, it shows the company is in a very good position right now.

Just to think, this revenue was made with only having a live audience for half of the year. Who knows where 2022 will take them with a full calendar of live events and a number of stadium premium live events on the horizon.

#4 WWE Premium Live Event viewership has increased on Peacock

WWE returned to the road in July 2021, with Money in the Bank being their first full capacity premium live event since February 2020.

Around the same time, the company pulled the plug on its own Network in the United States and signed a deal with streaming service Peacock to air its monthly premium live events.

Nick Khan noted on the conference call that they had seen significant increases in viewership for their premium events through Peacock. Most notably, viewership for SummerSlam in 2021 was over 30% higher than SummerSlam in 2019. Incredibly, Crown Jewel in October 2021, viewership was up 75% compared to 2019.

It seemingly shows that the company's move to Peacock has so far paid off.

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#3 WWE has a dozen scripted and unscripted content sold

Nick Khan made it known on the Q4 conference call that the company has a dozen scripted and unscripted content sold.

Where this particular content has been sold remains unknown, but it was noted that these would be announced soon. It is also unknown what type of scripted and unscripted work the company has created.

As we already know, there is a Vince McMahon documentary in the works that is set to be released on Netflix in the near future. Of course, with many, many streaming services out there right now, WWE should certainly not have a problem finding a home for their new content.

#2 WWE anticipates producing more international events in the future

It has been rumored for some time that WWE plans to hold a large scale event in the United Kingdom this year. While nothing has yet been announced, the company does have a premium live event date open on its calendar for September.

Nick Khan noted on the Q4 conference call that events like the upcoming Elimination Chamber premium live event in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, are key revenue drivers for the company and want to produce more.

Hearing that will be music to the ears of fans in the U.K. and also in places like Australia, where the the company may host big events in the future.

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#1 WWE is “absolutely” exploring the Metaverse

During the Q4 conference call, a representative of investment banking company Morgan Stanley asked Stephanie McMahon if the company had plans to explore the Metaverse.

According to Business Live, Metaverse is now defined in the Oxford English Dictionary as a “virtual-reality space in which users can interact with a computer-generated environment and other users”. (Yes, I had to search too, as I had no idea!) It is linked to Mark Zuckerberg's name change from Facebook to Meta.

Stephanie McMahon revealed that the company is exploring it and are doing their due dilligence and are meeting with as many partners as they can. Could we be seeing a new form of outlet in the future for the brand? We'll have to wait and see.

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Fourth Quarter 2021 Highlights

Revenue increased 30% to $310.3 million

Operating income increased 131% to $83.6 million

Adjusted OIBDA1 increased 90% to $97.2 million

Returned capital to shareholders totaling $59.0 million, including share repurchases and dividends paid

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Are you looking forward to seeing what 2022 brings for Vince McMahon's company? Let us know in the comments below!