WWE Head of Digital: ‘It shocks me every week’ how well Vault YouTube channel does
WWE is very happy with the success of its Vault channel on YouTube.
The WWE Vault has become a big hit with hardcore fans, uploading rare and sometimes never-before-seen footage from the company’s video library. The channel launched in 2024 and now has four million subscribers. This week, its uploads included a 1992 mask vs. mask match from Lucha Libre AAA that pitted a young Rey Mysterio against Mr. Condor. Mysterio recorded a brief introduction to help explain the match to new viewers.
Front Office Sports published a story on Friday looking at WWE’s YouTube strategy. In the article, WWE’s Head of Digital Media Steve Braband said it shocks him every week how well some content on the Vault performs.
“The success of that came with no new resources [needed],” Braband said. “We tapped into a few people that were passionate about our archive, saw the engagement on our main channel, and just moved our whole vault to this page. We’re about to hit the four-million sub mark—and it shocks me every week how some content does.”
On the Vault channel, WWE regularly uploads full matches, events, and compilation videos on specific storylines. The company has also started up a similar WCW-focused channel.
“As of mid-May, the Vault page had 133.6 million hours viewed over the previous year, representing 131 percent year-over-year growth,” Front Office Sports wrote.
WWE’s overall YouTube strategy —
The Front Office Sports story is largely focused on the fact that AAA Noche de Los Grandes is airing on YouTube this Saturday. That broadcast will be headlined by the mask vs. mask match between El Grande Americano (Ludwig Kaiser) and Original El Grande Americano (Chad Gable). Braband said WWE views YouTube as an important marketing tool that can help get talent over.
“We’re looking at it as a way to share content, create good content, drive business goals, but also remember how YouTube is connected to the whole Google sphere of it all,” he told Front Office Sports. “It’s a marketing tool. You’re able to show off this brand and grow it and grow new superstars.”
Joseph Currier is the lead editor of F4WOnline.com, directing daily news coverage and writing articles on professional wrestling. He is a graduate of the University of Massachusetts, obtaining a journalism degree in 2016. Joseph joined F4W during his time at UMass and has now been writing about the industry for nearly a decade.
In addition to his work with F4W, Joseph has previously contributed to Sports Illustrated's wrestling coverage. He lives in Massachusetts and is a diehard fan of the Boston sports teams and Liverpool Football Club.