Where Is The WWE Headed?

[frostbite2819]

I have been thinking a lot about what the future holds for the WWE.

What is it gonna look like in 10 years??
In 5 years??

What will the overall product be?
Will HHH and Steph be LEGIT running things by then?
How will they change the product if they are?
Will WWE ever go back to putting a STRONG emphasis on the in-ring product?
Will guys like Cena and Taker be agents by then, helping the young guys?
Where will we evolve to next?
Will WWE continue the cycle of matching the product to the kids watching it, that will be growing up in 5-10 years, thereby making it a more 'mature' product?
Just a few questions but if you have your own ideas please present them.
So what do you guys think the future holds for the biggest wrestling promotion in the world?

 

[Odisho]

i honestly think wwe will be in big trouble or possibly out of business in ten years, i'v always wanted to make a thread about it, but i just dont have the information to back it up. Cuz latley i have felt that wwe is going through a path where they have done almost everything they can possibly think of that they cant find new and interesting story lines

 

[JaylisJayP]

I think they're in major trouble, too. It's sad to see because they just did it to themselves. In an effort to appeal more to a wider audience, they made the crucial mistake of time and again ignoring their real fan base, and look what they got for it...less than half the ratings they used to get, uninteresting characters nobody cares about save for a handful and just a general sense of not being relevant anymore.

They can't throw a few CM Punk bones here and there and expect to make up for years of moving in the wrong direction.

I also don't buy the "done almost everything they can" line. There's always interesting storylines out there and great characters to develop if they would just stick to something and develop it. They abandon stables, they abandon most of the storylines developing backstage, they abandon good, long feuds...why would anyone care at this point? It's not like all of that was to bump up the quality of the wrestling on the show, either?

They bury the guys with great mic skills (Wade Barrett, Christian until recently) and give us totally useless, bland, uninteresting characters like Daniel Bryan, Evan Bourne and Kofi Kingston. Sorry fans of the actual wrestling, but if they can't capture an audience on a mic, nobody will care about who or how they wrestle.

I stopped watching Smackdown years ago but occasionally DVR it if there's a new champ. I watched it over the weekend in like 5 minutes. It's horrible what they did to Randy Orton's character over the last year. He's vanilla and totally uninteresting now.

 

[poppycock]

Who knows? I could never have imagined whilst growing up watching the WWE in 1992 that 5 or 6 years later it would turn into the product it became. I don't think anybody can predict what is around the corner..especially who will be the huge face of the company because things like that just happen and only then can you develop it and make it last. I really doubt the WWE will be out of business in 10 years. It is huge and has no real rivals right now in the world of mainstream Pro Wrestling. I like where things are heading right now and I think like most things it will always have it's up years and it's down years but at the end of the day will survive. I still enjoy it anyway.

 

[wewantchange]

I feel the same way in 1996-97 the whole landscape changed from a man named stone cold steve austin which was the well known ATTITUDE ERA! we will never have another attitude era. Once stone cold turned heel and joined with vince mcmahon the whole concept of attitude was over, even tho the rock, mankind, kane, taker all those guys helped the attitude era.
In 02-04 the wwe was doing pretty good but in 05 when the man of the wwe now JOHN CENA(BOOOOOO) became the face the company just started going downhill not saying hes a bad wrestler its because of TV PG people thats why if they dont do something in the next 2 to 3 years the wwe will be screwed! but this new story line with hhh as coo and cm punk rising to the top like austin did in 97 we could see something new that could turn the company around once and for all. lets just hope and pray cm punk has what it takes because right now hes shaken things up prettty good if u ask me. i didnt see and conspiracy commin before punk's promo. so lets just wait and see i have a good feeling about it!

 

[InsomGTS]

When Vince dies it could be a very bad thing for the company. He may not make the best decisions all the time but he has struck gold quite a few times and lives, breathes and dreams wrestling. Nobody knows how well HHH and Steph will handle the responsibility of REALLY running the company.

 

[BaraaTKF992]

WWE is heading to the wrong direction , if they have a real competition with any other company , they would have been out of business .

but they dont have any real or serious opponent to have a competition with , thats why wwe is still here

 

[Million Dollar Dream]

I think this is a great topic. I've been a fan of wrestling as a whole for many many years and wrestling will always be what it is at the end of the day but I think Vince's ego is at an all time high with The Rock vs Cena on the horizon among the WWE Network but the negative results won't show until down the line. Heres what I mean...

I think The wwe Network is a very big venture that could decide where wrestling is in a few years. If The Network is run very similar to The New York Yankees YES Network the idea will work. Have segments once a week where legends are asked several questions like the Center Stage show on YES! Network (if you don't know what I'm talking about google it).

Vince needs to cut his ego in half and salvage some relationships with legends that aren't seen or heard from much. It'd be nice seeing Harley Race conduct some type of show or have a relationship resurrected with Hulk Hogan and I don't mean for Hogan's wrestling or idea's just the presence and some type of show centered around him (not midget wrestling). If Undertaker isn't going to wrestle anymore then maybe he could have a Motor Cycle show to attract Bikers. Dedicating a full Network towards wrestling is awesome from a wrestling fans perspective but isn't there really a big enough demographic to have a whole network about?

The reason I think the network will have such a big effect on wwe is for the fact. What happens if the network is a failure?? It'll be big steps backwards for the company and it'll kill their stock market and will have a bigger negative reaction then the XFL did. Wrestling being on a major network such as USA has very big benefits and that exposure will be lost on it's own program.

On the flip side if the network is a success it'll be an awesome draw for wrestlers to want to take part in a network. It's that much more of a selling point if a wrestler is really deciding between WWE or TNA which they shouldn't really have to do anyways but if they are then why not go work for a wrestling brand that has it's own network.

I really do hope the network is a success like I mentioned I've been a wrestling fan forever and I'd hate to see another promotion die. WCW folding was a very big hit on the wrestling landscape.. Sure good feuds did come out of it for awhile but look at wrestling over the last few years. Feuds have been recycled over and over again. Tag-Team wrestling was killed until a month ago. Managers were dead until Vicky as of late. WWE was able to do whatever they wanted with their creative side of things since the Monday Night War has been over theres no flipping to the other show if one sucked. We fans watch what Vince wants us to watch. Wrestling lately has been the best it has been in years as far as idea's go... I just hope they don't loose momentum

 

[RicoLen]

You know the last time there was a youth movement in the WWE we got guys like Cena, Orton, Lesnar & Batista debuting & mid-card guys like Eddie, Benoit, & Jericho making very big names for themselves. Before that? You got guys like HHH, Rock, & Angle debuting, and mid-card guys like Mick Foley, Steve Austin, Brian Pillman, & Owen Hart on the fast track to super stardom.

This youth movement is a good thing, it means they're putting the past behind them, again, and moving on to something different. The mid-carders were put forward a little early, as well the noobs, because there was such a big turnover during the mid 00's. However the talent is pretty darned good right now.

The only thing that really needs to change, in my opinion, is the culture of the fans. Everyone is so negative and critical of everything, so the buzz that gets generated through word of mouth isn't great. That does in fact hurt ratings.

Million Dollar Dream is absolutely right about the WWE Network though.

I think The wwe Network is a very big venture that could decide where wrestling is in a few years. If The Network is run very similar to The New York Yankees YES Network the idea will work. Have segments once a week where legends are asked several questions like the Center Stage show on YES! Network (if you don't know what I'm talking about google it).

Vince needs to cut his ego in half and salvage some relationships with legends that aren't seen or heard from much. It'd be nice seeing Harley Race conduct some type of show or have a relationship resurrected with Hulk Hogan and I don't mean for Hogan's wrestling or idea's just the presence and some type of show centered around him (not midget wrestling). If Undertaker isn't going to wrestle anymore then maybe he could have a Motor Cycle show to attract Bikers. Dedicating a full Network towards wrestling is awesome from a wrestling fans perspective but isn't there really a big enough demographic to have a whole network about?

I could easily see some new and great shows on the WWE Network, and ideally, even supplanting Spike TV as the TV network for men. Women actually LIKE the Lifetime network. I watch next to nothing on Spike, Impact I'll catch when I can, but mostly, nothing. If WWE TV were what I think it has the potential to be, I could see it as a family network that's male oriented rather than... every other TV network out there.

So where do I see the WWE in 5 to 10? I see them something like the Disney channel is now, only wrestling oriented and marketed to males 12-45. Before that gets taken the wrong way, if you look at The Disney Channel from a high level view, you see Disney movies a couple times a week (on the WWETV replaced by old PPVs) you see tons of original programming for little kids, then mid-teens. So I don't see WWETV marketing anything to pre-schoolers, save for maybe a few cartoons, but I do imagine seeing some early-teen programs, bad sitcoms, etc. And I think on top of now being able to tune in on a weekly basis to see OVW & FCW as well as NXT, Tough Enough, as they air live, as well as perhaps the previous weeks' episode of Raw & Smackdown.

I think The WWE Network will end up being a shot in the arm that increases viewership and having a number of unforeseen effects on Raw & Smackdown's format, same with PPV's too. One thing I do think is that Raw at the very least, if not smackdown as well will become TV-14, with a TV-PG version available perhaps on USA, with the more mature version on the WWE Network... it's something to think about at least.

 

[It's clobberin' time!!]

Unfortunately I don't think the company will survive.

To me the reason for this is obvious: in trying to reach out to a wider audience they have lost touch with the die-hard fan base that previously existed. I know I'm more than likely just spurring the Cena fans with fuel to tear into me about how he's a hard worker and merchandise seller blah blah blah, but the simple fact is this: WWE is a dying business. Tickets sales are plummeting, pay-per-view buys are following suit, and the company as a whole is becoming somewhat of a joke once more.

I remember a time when WWE(F) was a hot-topic among entertainment and sport. It was edgy, different. It combined the skill of a well crafted sport and the sense of almost a live action soap opera. It was sublimely unique. This buzz of the industry seems to have died. Vince has done wonders with the company, let's not ignore that fact, but the attempts to expand to a wider audience have failed. The programming is no longer talked about on a wide extent, the wrestling quality has dropped significantly and been replaced by robotic body-builders and childish gimmick characters, and has become a hugely childish form of entertainment. I hide the fact I'm a fan from most people these days, sheerly due to the embarrassing reputation the company now has. I remember the days of discussing the WWF with pride, knowing that it was a hot topic, and controversial field. Something different and exciting, not the stale garbage it has become.

I find it interesting that the majority of people that are pro Cena, and pro PG, and pro this era never seem to post on any topics that relate to issues pre 2005 ish. I've noticed through reading this forum that a lot of the serial posters weren't even fans during the more successful days, yet still feel like they can validly put their argument of why this era is fine, and better than The Golden Age and Attitude Era. The real fans on this forum all seem to be in unison on two issues: 1. There are too many blind serial posting ***** on this forum that have no actual knowledge on wrestling or this industry and need to get a fucking life, and ultimately sum up the fan base that Vince has aimed the programming at for the last 8 odd years. 2. The company is in a dyer state, and has attracted 'fans' such is this, which is the whole problem with the company at the minute.

So my view: the company will be dead. TNA will tag on that they can push the edgy programming and take the lead in sports entertainment, or real fans will leave the genre as a whole, and watch more UFC and the like. The problem has been the attempts to attract a new fan base, but this in turn has pushed the real fans away, hence the attendance drops. Real fans are fed up with sitting next to idiots like Hamlertainment and others who post far too frequently on this forum, that have no knowledge on the company pre 2000, yet still push to crush the views of anyone that makes an argument against them.

The true fans have been pushed away, and no longer find the company exciting. The plastic fans aren't in high enough numbers to keep the company afloat. So, unless we see a significant change in the programming and wrestlers that get a push (not 'superstars', WRESTLERS) and aim at the true fan base, then WWE will be dead in the next ten years.


Okay, I'm done. Cue plastic fans giving me bad rep and crushing my point as I don't post on here 10 times a day.

 

[RicoLen]

To me the reason for this is obvious: in trying to reach out to a wider audience they have lost touch with the die-hard fan base that previously existed. I know I'm more than likely just spurring the Cena fans with fuel to tear into me about how he's a hard worker and merchandise seller blah blah blah, but the simple fact is this: WWE is a dying business. Tickets sales are plummeting, pay-per-view buys are following suit, and the company as a whole is becoming somewhat of a joke once more.

You don't think the WWE network will allow a few TV-14 rated shows or anything else these "die-hard" fans would want?

I remember a time when WWE(F) was a hot-topic among entertainment and sport. It was edgy, different. It combined the skill of a well crafted sport and the sense of almost a live action soap opera. It was sublimely unique. This buzz of the industry seems to have died. Vince has done wonders with the company, let's not ignore that fact, but the attempts to expand to a wider audience have failed. The programming is no longer talked about on a wide extent, the wrestling quality has dropped significantly and been replaced by robotic body-builders and childish gimmick characters, and has become a hugely childish form of entertainment. I hide the fact I'm a fan from most people these days, sheerly due to the embarrassing reputation the company now has. I remember the days of discussing the WWF with pride, knowing that it was a hot topic, and controversial field. Something different and exciting, not the stale garbage it has become.

You realize that's kinda how it's always been? It's certainly better today than when I was a kid watching Big Bossman, Sgt Slaughter, The Mountie, The Bushwhackers, Ultimate Warrior, "Macho Man" Randy Savage, "The Immortal" Hulk Hogan, The Rockers, The Hart Foundation, Bobby "The Brain" Heenan, Gorilla Monsoon, The Million Dollar Man Ted DiBiase, Virgil, Irwin R. Shyster, etc. Seriously, the gimmicks back there were cookie cutter stereotypes aimed at children, and there was nothing cutting edge about them. However, anyone that was around long enough to remember that time first hand will tell you that was a golden age of wrestling and one of the best times EVER to be a wrestling fan.

I find it interesting that the majority of people that are pro Cena, and pro PG, and pro this era never seem to post on any topics that relate to issues pre 2005 ish. I've noticed through reading this forum that a lot of the serial posters weren't even fans during the more successful days, yet still feel like they can validly put their argument of why this era is fine, and better than The Golden Age and Attitude Era. The real fans on this forum all seem to be in unison on two issues: 1. There are too many blind serial posting ***** on this forum that have no actual knowledge on wrestling or this industry and need to get a fucking life, and ultimately sum up the fan base that Vince has aimed the programming at for the last 8 odd years. 2. The company is in a dyer state, and has attracted 'fans' such is this, which is the whole problem with the company at the minute.

Meet the exception. I don't talk about the time period between 2004-2009 because I didn't watch, yet that's because I stopped watching because the WWE had turned trashy and sleazy. I was happy when I found out WWE had finally wised up and gone back to PG where it was best.

I feel as though the culture the WWF created with it's attitude era, the attitude era generation of fans, are complete hypocrites.

I'll admit that the Monday Night Wars was the best thing wrestling has ever seen, and I won't argue that wrestling today is not as good as it was at other points in time. However this reality era in particular is damned good, and I find it kind of insulting that people can call themselves fans of wrestling but be embarrassed about it because it's not the attitude era anymore.

I'm not going to flame you, I might crush you, depending on your own personal point of view, I will debate with you, but I'll treat you with respect. I only ask that you give fans of other eras of wrestling the same respect.

 

[MetalFace DOOM]

I think even though Vince has a big ego, and that it gets bigger and bigger every year... He still makes good decisions. Sure he makes some bad decisions and might not give us fully of what we want but come on... He isn't a billionaire for nothing. And you have to give Vince tons of props still.

We all thought that the state of the WWE was dead or was going to fall in idk..1994 and beyond. Yet he kept it up float still. I've been watching Wrestling since age 5, loved it ever since. I never cared about the Black and White, just the Gray area of it all. I feel like you can't appreciate wrestling or anything in life period without appreciating the downs as well as the ups. Everybody is complaining about the WWE and where its at now.... really? I remember a time when Crush and Doink the Clown were basically main eventers.. When HBK had to carry the company on his damn back.. When Jeff Jarrett (no disrespect to any Jarrett fans out there) was a top mid carder. Idk but to me... 1994-1997 was the most dry ages of WWE wrestling(tolerable none the less). Thank God for HBK, Bret Hart, Undertaker, Kevin Nash, Scott Hall, and of course Owen Hart and even British Bulldog in those times. Along with Austin, HHH, and Rock coming along the way.

So IMO these times of the WWE will never be as bad as those times of the E. Everybody is so fixated on the "Attitude Era" or even 2004-2009 but especially the Attitude Era. Just because the Attitude Era was great for its well...... attitude, antics, vulgar language and even trashy customs, doesn't mean the PG Era or whatever Era that comes after that.. isn't great or can't be great. Like Rico Len said... Yea the Monday Night Wars are best years of wrestling period no doubt. And Wrestling today as a whole is not as good as those days, and proly never will be. But Wrestling is still good today. It could be way worse.

You people complaining now about the company? Imagine how worst its going to get in like 10 plus years. When there might not be a John Cena, Randy Orton, CM Punk or a Miz. And even if they do be around, imagine how it would be if these people i just mention were all gone right this instance? Be thankful dammit that you have something. Im thankful for the WWE and where there at, and im damn sure thankful that its Vince Mcmahon instead of that other Vince... gee whats his name i forget... VINCE RUSSO! You guys complain about Vince, shit i'll take my chances with Vince Mcmahon any day besides Russo. Russo killed WCW, Russo kills any type of wrestling he can get his hands on period IMO.

Be thankful, the product might not be as good as the "Golden Years" but at least its still good and something. We shouldn't even be worrying about where the WWE will be even in 5 years, just be thankful for today because honestly no one knows.. and who knows? it could actually be bad in 5 or 10 years so... Hold on to what we have now.

Bonus Fact- WWE Network will be the saving grace of the WWE is there is need for a saving grace. Regardless it will be good for the the fans and the company. Vince to me is trying to look out for the fact that the product is not as good as it was years ago. Hence the reason for the WWE Network for you so called.. out of touch die hard fans.

 

[The Champ]

Anyone who thinks the WWE is going out of business anytime soon needs to get their head out of their ass and realize that they're more successful on a worldwide level than they ever have before, meaning that they have plenty of markets who will continue to buy their products and put money in their pockets. Just because they don't get ratings like they did in the Attitude Era doesn't mean that they're failing in any way. Newsflash: people use DVRs or watch Raw on YouTube the next day, and that doesn't reflect in the ratings. So there's no way to accurately compare. They're about to pull in a huge amount of revenue from their new network. Provide me with some concrete evidence that WWE is falling. Not that you can, because there is none, but I would like to see some of you try. WWE will be in a different place in ten years than it is now, but I'm willing to bet that it might even be more successful, and it certainly won't be less. That just sounds like bitter rants from Attitude Era marks.

 

[MetalFace DOOM]

Anyone who thinks the WWE is going out of business anytime soon needs to get their head out of their ass and realize that they're more successful on a worldwide level than they ever have before, meaning that they have plenty of markets who will continue to buy their products and put money in their pockets. Just because they don't get ratings like they did in the Attitude Era doesn't mean that they're failing in any way. Newsflash: people use DVRs or watch Raw on YouTube the next day, and that doesn't reflect in the ratings. So there's no way to accurately compare. They're about to pull in a huge amount of revenue from their new network. Provide me with some concrete evidence that WWE is falling. Not that you can, because there is none, but I would like to see some of you try. WWE will be in a different place in ten years than it is now, but I'm willing to bet that it might even be more successful, and it certainly won't be less. That just sounds like bitter rants from Attitude Era marks.

Enough said.. Spoken by a True Champ.

No doubt the WWE will be in a different place in 10 years but... it will not be less. I wouldn't be surprised at all if it becomes even more successful in 10 years from now. And its already successful period.

Marks and Smarks of any Era are something else i should say..

 

[TimeToPlayTheGame09]

I don't ever see the WWE going out of business as long as Vince has a breath in his body. The WWE is something he cherishes & the company he took over for his dad & it sums up his whole legacy. Vince would fight from his death bed before he let it shutdown. I think the WWE is working in the direction of making money off of things other than wrestling (merchandise, movies, DVDs etc). I'm starting to see the company as more of brand name or trademark instead of a company focusing solely on the wrestling aspects. W/all the old footage that he has of the territories & interviewing legends, WWE can always focus on producing & selling that footage to the fans & still make profit. The in ring action will never be enjoyed by the world like 80s up to the late 90s and early 00s. There are so many alternatives to wrestling now (UFC, boxing, football, biggest one reality tv). WWE is in a spot right now were they want continue please the parents & kids & still bring the hardcore fans back in. You can't please both, but they got to find a way to tie in both demographics. The WWE channel will ultimately be the factor that decides which way vince will end up. If it gets up & running & build a strong following & show ratings then Vince doesn't have too much to worry bout, but if doesn't last longer than a year then it may be time start from scratch.

 

[It's clobberin' time!!]

Anyone who thinks the WWE is going out of business anytime soon needs to get their head out of their ass and realize that they're more successful on a worldwide level than they ever have before, meaning that they have plenty of markets who will continue to buy their products and put money in their pockets. Just because they don't get ratings like they did in the Attitude Era doesn't mean that they're failing in any way. Newsflash: people use DVRs or watch Raw on YouTube the next day, and that doesn't reflect in the ratings. So there's no way to accurately compare. They're about to pull in a huge amount of revenue from their new network. Provide me with some concrete evidence that WWE is falling. Not that you can, because there is none, but I would like to see some of you try. WWE will be in a different place in ten years than it is now, but I'm willing to bet that it might even be more successful, and it certainly won't be less. That just sounds like bitter rants from Attitude Era marks.

Funny how your entire post is based on the counter argument having no evidence, yet then you fail to provide any supporting your view....
That's what's wrong with this forum, keyboard warriors being able to say whatever they want because they have 300+ posts and not because they have a well structured point.

So, you want evidence, here we go:

Of course there is evidence you mug. The WWE is a global company, and as a result has numerous income statements, cash flows and balance sheets available. Upon analysing all of the above and more, a key FACT (not just glamorized opinion which you state) is that in the last 5+ years the company has entered a small phase of free-fall. Total stockholders' equity has been rapidly decreasing during the last few years. Total revenue fell by a whopping 10% in 2008, and the year following overall profit fell by 7%. When you consider the vast amount of money circulating in and out of the business, these percentages are huge.
Many fans post merchandise arguments forward, especially in regards to the constant "Is John Cena's character stale" debate. Well, since 2008, overall consumer product sales has fallen by an absolutely startling 27%! This is a crippling statistic.
Last year, profit from live events fell by 20%, merchandising down 8%, pay-per-view down 16% and the list goes on and on and on.
Studying quarter 3 (the best quarter to analyse as it removes the Wrestlemania anomaly)
average attendances and pay-per-view buys have been falling at a constant rate for many many years.

It's all a matter of correlation analysis. So sir, yes, there is evidence, and I hope that my very very brief coverage of the issue has enlightened you. The WWE has been showing signs of financial concern for a fair few years now. Not even just slightly either, but significant statistical downfall. Due to the vast global industry that has been created over the years, thankfully the company can easily survive in the short-run, but in studying performance indicators and the like, it is clear to see that unless things start to change, WWE will be in severe turmoil in the long-run.

If you'd like further proof that evidence does exist, feel free to send me your email address, and I'll provide you with various form of documentation.

 

[RicoLen]

The WWE is a global company, and as a result has numerous income statements, cash flows and balance sheets available. Upon analysing all of the above and more, a key FACT (not just glamorized opinion which you state) is that in the last 5+ years the company has entered a small phase of free-fall. Total stockholders' equity has been rapidly decreasing during the last few years. Total revenue fell by a whopping 10% in 2008, and the year following overall profit fell by 7%. When you consider the vast amount of money circulating in and out of the business, these percentages are huge.
Many fans post merchandise arguments forward, especially in regards to the constant "Is John Cena's character stale" debate. Well, since 2008, overall consumer product sales has fallen by an absolutely startling 27%! This is a crippling statistic.
Last year, profit from live events fell by 20%, merchandising down 8%, pay-per-view down 16% and the list goes on and on and on.
Studying quarter 3 (the best quarter to analyse as it removes the Wrestlemania anomaly)
average attendances and pay-per-view buys have been falling at a constant rate for many many years.

It's all a matter of correlation analysis. So sir, yes, there is evidence, and I hope that my very very brief coverage of the issue has enlightened you. The WWE has been showing signs of financial concern for a fair few years now. Not even just slightly either, but significant statistical downfall. Due to the vast global industry that has been created over the years, thankfully the company can easily survive in the short-run, but in studying performance indicators and the like, it is clear to see that unless things start to change, WWE will be in severe turmoil in the long-run.

If you'd like further proof that evidence does exist, feel free to send me your email address, and I'll provide you with various form of documentation.

I see how it is... you ignore the intelligent, mature, debate post, that does everything you claim does not happen here, and instead go after the troll. This doesn't say much about what you're trying to accomplish with your previous post. Regardless, I'll continue on debating you point for point in the way you say no one here will do, and you can continue to ignore me.

Upon analysing all of the above and more, a key FACT (not just glamorized opinion which you state) is that in the last 5+ years the company has entered a small phase of free-fall. Total stockholders' equity has been rapidly decreasing during the last few years.

Actually, that's only true if you look at 2006-2009, from 2010-current, they've more or less flatlined and if anything have increased slightly.

As for all the rest of the data you're coming up with, while it does show that the company is taking a downturn, the thing you have to keep in mind here is that almost every US company is having similar problems. Except for Apple, and phone manufacturers, because people are more willing to throw their money away on a new iPad or smartphone than they are willing to save their mortgage.

If you want to prove your case you need to prove that WWE is falling moreso than other companies. Otherwise it just looks like a typical downturn from the bad economy. That's not to say that the WWE couldn't fold because of the strain, but it's not a sign that they're doing anything wrong.

 

[It's clobberin' time!!]

Apologies, did not even read your post the first time round.

The WWE network is something I'm looking forward to. Perhaps it will indeed be a means of airing programming that will have more of an edge to it. But, seeing as neither side of the argument currently knows how exactly that new idea will pan out, I'm going to leave it out of this debate for the time being.

As far as your point that the WWE is merely following the trends of numerous business worldwide at the minute, I agree. The global financial issue will of course be playing a contributing factor. But that does not mean it is the only factor, especially when you observe that the WWE financial decline was starting far before the financial crisis you're referring to hit. However, I do accept that yes, the financial crisis across the globe will be having an adverse effect on those percentages and stats.
Your point on the flatlining since 2010 I have to disagree with however. Firstly, from the last 6 quarters it does still seem to be decreasing (all be it at a less rapid rate). Also, because to be honest the 6 quarters you refer to aren't really enough time to suggest a correlation even if they were levelling out or increasing. There are far too many outliers and anomalies that can swing figures in that sort of time-bracket.

Also, yes, thank you. It is nice to see an intelligent and well structured counter-argument on this forum, aside from the usual shit such as the posts wedged in-between yours in this thread. Hopefully I run across more exceptions like yourself, and can actually use this forum for what it was designed for: well worded wrestling discussion and debate, not just a bashing site for serial posters to use this site to crush the views of others and make themselves seem socially acceptable on a forum, to make up for the fact their social life outside of wrestlezone is about as extensive as that of a dead corpse.

 

[RicoLen]

Apologies, did not even read your post the first time round.

Fair enough.

The WWE network is something I'm looking forward to. Perhaps it will indeed be a means of airing programming that will have more of an edge to it. But, seeing as neither side of the argument currently knows how exactly that new idea will pan out, I'm going to leave it out of this debate for the time being.

The problem with that is that this thread is asking the question "Where is the WWE headed?" So while it is all supposition, this is probably THE BIGGEST factor in all of it.

As far as your point that the WWE is merely following the trends of numerous business worldwide at the minute, I agree. The global financial issue will of course be playing a contributing factor. But that does not mean it is the only factor, especially when you observe that the WWE financial decline was starting far before the financial crisis you're referring to hit. However, I do accept that yes, the financial crisis across the globe will be having an adverse effect on those percentages and stats.

True, but how do you separate the two? Without doing that, you can't really claim that there is anything wrong in WWE's business model.

Your point on the flatlining since 2010 I have to disagree with however. Firstly, from the last 6 quarters it does still seem to be decreasing (all be it at a less rapid rate). Also, because to be honest the 6 quarters you refer to aren't really enough time to suggest a correlation even if they were levelling out or increasing. There are far too many outliers and anomalies that can swing figures in that sort of time-bracket.

That's kind of an intrinsic problem with reading a line graph showing quarter by quarter gains & losses. There are a number of factors contributing to their economic growth, or lack thereof. Quality of product is only part of it, marketing is a huge part of it, but perhaps biggest of all is the global economy. The thing is, depending on how you read the numbers and where you get your numbers, WWE does appear to be countering the downturn regardless. Compare that to companies like Yahoo & Chrysler, WWE looks pretty good.

Also, yes, thank you. It is nice to see an intelligent and well structured counter-argument on this forum, aside from the usual shit such as the posts wedged in-between yours in this thread. Hopefully I run across more exceptions like yourself, and can actually use this forum for what it was designed for: well worded wrestling discussion and debate, not just a bashing site for serial posters to use this site to crush the views of others and make themselves seem socially acceptable on a forum, to make up for the fact their social life outside of wrestlezone is about as extensive as that of a dead corpse.

Well, I do my part. Actually I would say a lot of the serial posters that post in these non-spam forums are pretty good. You go to the spam forums and trolls reign supreme, give a witty one-liner and 50 people give them "green rep" and then they come here and the laymen would think they're credible contributors to well thought-out discussion. The rest are a crap shoot.

 

[hollowpoint]

The answer to me is simple. Nobody knows where the WWE will be. I believe they will still be around in some form or fashion, but the state of the economy affects alot of things and the "E" is one of those things. The WWE network sounds like a good thing, but I'm not sure if it's gonna be good. I hope I'm wrong and I hope they succed, but for right now who is to say? I'd rather enjoy the product I'm watching now and enjoy the talent on the roster that is all improving and growing together.

 

[Mick Overlast]

The WWE is fine as long as it continues to build characters/personalities (can't stress that enough) that people want to see.

Everyone brings up UFC/MMA, but I honestly believe it'll start heading downhill. You can only see the same kind of fight so many times before you get bored of it. There aren't a lot of personalities that make you say, "I want to watch this guy win/get his ass kicked!" and pony up the money for the PPV. Boxing is suffering through this now because Mayweather is one of its two biggest draws and he just came back from an 18-month vacation, or however long it was.

As for the WWE, you know you'll be entertained, even though you may not like the outcomes.

I'll say this too: social media will play a big role in keeping the WWE where it is. I used to be a huge fan, then went away as I got older. If not for a couple tweets I saw about Punk's promo in June, I wouldn't be here and watching Raw every week. WWE has so many ways to stay in the public eye that it would be impossible to actually fall out of it.

For those saying WWE is doomed, the same was said decades ago and it never happened. It'll be fine.