February 20, 2008 Observer Newsletter: WWE scores record profits, Georgia looks to regulate pro wrestling
The most successful final quarter in company history, boosted by 29 overseas events, strong DVD releases and profits from the DVD releases of “See No Evil” and “The Marine” have resulted in the highest grossing year in the history of the promotion.
WWE broke the record set during the 2000-01 period during the Rock and Steve Austin heyday, taking him $485,700,000 for the year and finishing with a profit of $52,100,000. Another reason never talked about why this year looks so good is with the weakening of the dollar on a worldwide basis and everything being figured into dollars with such a heavy percentage of the revenue coming outside the U.S., it makes enough of a difference that without it, they would not have broken the revenue record.
The big difference is the foreign market which accounted for 40% of the profits this year. For actual profit margin from wrestling itself, the company had its fourth most successful year in history, trailing the three years from 1998-99 to 2000-01.
Subscribers can read this issue here.
Dave Meltzer is the founder and lead writer on the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, the weekly constant when it comes to news and reviews in pro wrestling and mixed martial arts for more than 40 years. Dave also co-hosts Wrestling Observer Radio with Bryan Alvarez and had had bylines for The National, Yahoo Sports, MMA Fighting and others.