Brandon Howard Thurston

Big Wheel Keeps Turning: WWE Q4 and Full Year 2016 Report

Investors were apparently happy with WWE’s 2016 Q4 and full year earning report released Thursday. The stock was up an impressive 9% at the close of the market later that day. As reported earlier, the WWE Network ended the year…

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Vince McMahon Admits WrestleMania 32 Attendance of 101,763 Wasn’t A Paid Number

During WWE’s quarterly conference call for investors today Vince McMahon volunteered that the WrestleMania 32 attendance of 101,763 was not a paid number. “That included ushers and ticket-takers. It wasn’t 101,000 paid,” McMahon said, making it clear the announced attendance…

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Google Shopping Rankings for WWE Talents for 2016

At WWE live events, there’s a trailer just outside the venue that opens up, loaded with hundreds of T-shirts and accessories. A block away, bootleggers yell that they’ve got shirts too. Inside the building are multiple stands with more merchandise.…

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Analysis: New Japan Prepares to Go Global Following Wrestle Kingdom Success

Wrestle Kingdom 11 on January 4 was an international success for New Japan Pro Wrestling. English language commentator Steve Corino revealed some details about NJPWWorld subscription numbers during the January 5 New Years Dash even the next day. Corino said on…

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How Did RAW and SmackDown TV Ratings Compare in 2016?

For the first time in many years, WWE SmackDown’s television ratings are competitive with that of RAW. On the final week of 2016, SmackDown’s television rating (2.02) beat RAW’s rating for the prior day (1.94). That was the first time SmackDown…

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Pro Wrestling Company Familiarity and Favorability Study: Survey results on 58 companies including WWE, NJPW, ROH, TNA, Lucha Underground and indies

The entire spreadsheet for this study can be viewed here. There are many new and interesting metrics to look at when it comes to pro wrestling companies in 2017: Google trends, Wikipedia page views, social media follower counts. It's tempting to look…

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The Turbulent Year of 2017: A Look At The Future For WWE, FloSlam And Powerbomb.tv

The arc of pro wrestling history has been determined by the history of media. For Frank Gotch, it was the railroad; for Lou Thesz, Buddy Rogers and Gorgeous George, television; for Vincent K. McMahon and Hulk Hogan, cable. The biggest…

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Breakdown of current WWE ownership: How much does Linda McMahon still own? Shane owns little or none

Linda McMahon owns a relatively small portion of WWE stock today. According to the latest SEC filing regarding her ownership, she holds 566,670 shares, which amounts to 0.7% of the overall company and 1.4% of voting power. McMahon, who will…

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Top Social Media Followers of U.S. and U.K. Independent Wrestling Promotions: PWG, Evolve, Progress, Rev Pro & more

We’re at the dawn of the skinny bundle era for pro wrestling. Not that many years ago the prevailing thought was, without a traditional television program, a pro wrestling company couldn’t get off the ground and be anything but a…

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Exclusive Analysis: Linda McMahon Made $8 million In Political Donations In 2016, Sold $66 Million In WWE Stock

Linda McMahon will be nominated as administrator for the Small Business Administration for Donald Trump’s presidential cabinet. JUST IN: Trump chooses pro wrestling magnate Linda McMahon to head Small Business Administration – transition team. https://t.co/wDAAVcBK8v — Reuters U.S. News (@ReutersUS)…

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