Where Is WWE Today?
Contents
The WWE has come a long way since its early days. Here’s a look at where the company is today and how it got there.
WWE’s current situation
WWE is facing a lot of problems currently. Low ratings, lack of competition, and an over-reliance on part-timers are just some of the issues. WWE is also having trouble attracting new viewers and keeping them. Let’s take a look at WWE’s current situation and see where they might be heading.
On October 4, 2019, WWE’s stock closed at $70.13 per share. On October 5, it had fallen to $64.01 per share. This was a drop of 8.5%.
WWE’s TV ratings
Since peaking in the Monday Night Wars era in the late 1990s, WWE’s ratings have been on a steady decline. The product has become increasingly stale and predictable, with little incentive for viewers to tune in week after week. The company has been unable to recreate themagic of the Attitude Era, and has failed to adapt to the changing times. As a result, WWE’s TV ratings have plummeted in recent years.
In 2016, WWE’s Monday night flagship program Raw averaged 3.1 million viewers per week, down from 4.4 million in 2015 and 5.4 million in 2014. This marks a staggering 42% decline in just two years. SmackDown Live, WWE’s Tuesday night program, fared no better, averaging 2.5 million viewers per week in 2016, down from 3.2 million in 2015 and 4.2 million in 2014. This represents a decline of 22% in just two years.
To put these numbers into perspective, Raw drew an average of 5 million viewers per week during the height of the Monday Night Wars in 1999. In 2017, that number has dwindled to just 2.6 million viewers per week. SmackDown Live averaged 4 million viewers per week during its heyday in 2001; today, it draws an average of 2.3 million viewers per week.
WWE’s live event attendance
Since the early 1990s, WWE’s live event attendance has been on a steady decline. In 1992, the company’s live events drew an average of 4,000 fans per show. By 2002, that number had declined to just 1,500 fans per show. In recent years, WWE’s live event attendance has stabilized somewhat, averaging around 5,000 fans per show in 2017. However, this is still a far cry from the company’s heyday, when it would regularly draw 20,000+ fans to its live events.
WWE’s recent history
In the last five years, WWE has undergone a lot of changes. They’ve started to focus more on a more family-friendly product, they’ve changed their network to the WWE Network, and they’ve gone through a lot of behind the scenes changes as well. WWE is a very different place than it was five years ago, but where is it today?
The “PG Era”
The “PG Era” began following the final match of the Invasion storyline, in which Vince McMahon’s WWF emerged victorious. This effectively ended the Hardcore Championship’s seven-year history as a top title in the company. The new era was intended to be more family-friendly, with less profanity, sex, and violence. In order to achieve this, WWE discontinued Hardcore and edits its programming for network censors. The Mr. McMahon character also disappeared for over two years as a result of his “Attitude Adjustment” at the hands of Hulk Hogan.
The “Reality Era”
The “Reality Era” is a term used by professional wrestling journalist Dave Meltzer to describe WWE’s programming content since June 2009, after the company ceased using scripted finishes to its matches. The changes made during the Reality Era were a result of the decline in television ratings and live event attendance during the early 2000s. WWE has acknowledged that the majority of its fans are adult males aged 18–49, and has changed its product accordingly.
In an attempt to regain lost viewers, WWE began to produce more mature content that would appeal to its older demographic. This included edgier storylines, more violence, and sexual innuendo. In addition, WWE began to focus more on its roster of athletes and less on larger-than-life personalities. The new approach proved to be successful, as WWE’s television ratings and live event attendance began to rebound.
However, not all fans have been receptive to the changes made during the Reality Era. Some feel that WWE has strayed too far from its roots as a family-friendly entertainment product. Others believe that the new focus on athleticism has come at the expense of entertainment value.Whatever the case may be, there is no denying that the Reality Era has been a major turning point in WWE’s history.
The “WWE Universe”
The “WWE Universe” or “WWE Universe mode” is a video game feature available in several WWE games. It simulates the career of a professional wrestler, showcasing various aspects of the real-life events that occur within WWE. The mode has been included in every WWE game since WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2008, as well as in international releases of the series.
In most of the games, the player must first create a custom character, or select from a pre-existing one. The player can then decide which brand they want to be a part of ( Raw, SmackDown Live, NXT, 205 Live or NXT UK), and are subsequently put into that brand’s respective show (Monday Night Raw, SmackDown Live, NXT TakeOver events or NXT UK). From there on out, it is up to the player to control their career and how they want to progress through WWE.
WWE’s future
WWE is at a crossroads. The company is trying to figure out what its future will look like. There are a lot of possibilities for WWE. The company could go in a lot of different directions. WWE could move to a more family-friendly product.
The “New Era”
In late 2016, WWE began referring to its product as the “New Era.” This New Era is defined by a focus on younger talent, fresh storylines, and an overall more contemporary feel. While the company had been moving in this direction for some time, the New Era is seen as a formal shift in company philosophy.
The New Era has been relatively successful so far, with WWE’s viewership and live event attendance both up in 2017. The new crop of young stars has been generally well-received by fans, and there are signs that WWE is finally starting to connect with a new generation of fans.
However, there are also some challenges facing the New Era. WWE’s ratings have been in decline for years, and the company faces stiff competition from other entertainment options. Additionally, WWE has been criticized for failing to properly develop new talent, leading to a cycle of stars getting hot for a few months and then quickly fading away.
Only time will tell if the New Era is truly a turning point for WWE or just another false start. However, there is reason to be optimistic that WWE is finally moving in the right direction.
The “WWE Network”
The “WWE Network” is a streaming service that was first launched in the United States in February 2014. The network includes all live pay-per-view events, plus on-demand content. It is available on several different platforms, including web, iOS, Android, Playstation 3, Xbox 360, Roku and Amazon Fire TV. As of July 2015, the WWE Network had 1.3 million subscribers.
In May 2015, WWE announced that the network would be launching in the United Kingdom and Ireland on October 1st. It is expected to launch in other countries in the future.
The network offers a variety of content, including original programming, live events and shows featuring WWE superstars past and present.
The “WWE 2K” series
The “WWE 2K” series is a series of professional wrestling video games that are currently developed by Visual Concepts, and published by 2K Sports. These video games are based on the sport of professional wrestling, more specifically, World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE).
The series began in 2000 with the release of the original “WWE SmackDown!” game. It was followed by five more games in the main series, as well as several spin-off titles. The latest game in the series is “WWE 2K19”, which was released in October 2018.
The “WWE 2K” series is considered to be one of the most successful video game franchises based on a professional sport, with several games in the series being among the best-selling games in their respective years of release.
