WWE reports Q2 2022 financial results

[Liz]

WWE today announced financial results for its second quarter ended June 30, 2022.

"We generated strong financial results in the quarter, highlighted by record revenue and Adjusted OIBDA for a second quarter," said Stephanie McMahon and Nick Khan, WWE co-Chief Executive Officers. "We continued to effectively execute our strategy, including staging a record-setting WrestleMania in early April. WrestleMania, as well as our other premium live events including WrestleMania Backlash, Hell in a Cell, Money in the Bank and SummerSlam all delivered record viewership for their respective events. These PLEs, along with strong ratings for our flagship programs, Raw and SmackDown, continued to expand the reach of our brands and enhance the value of our content. We're excited about the recently announced management structure, including the appointment of Paul Levesque as head of WWE creative and talent, as we look to continue to increase the monetization of our IP across various platforms through our media rights agreements, both domestically and abroad, as well as our inaugural NFT drops on Moonsault, WWE's official NFT marketplace, and the recent launch of our new, enhanced e-commerce digital platform in connection with our partnership with Fanatics."

Frank Riddick, WWE Chief Financial and Administrative Officer, added "In the quarter, we exceeded the high end of our guidance. Adjusted OIBDA increased 34% reflecting 24% revenue growth. Our strong financial performance was primarily driven by our return to a full live event schedule and our consumer products business. These items more than offset an increase in production, content-related, and other expenses. For 2022, we are raising our full year Adjusted OIBDA guidance to a range of $370 to $385 million."

Highlights from Q2 2022 include:

Revenue of $328.2 million, an increase of 24%.

Operating Income was $69.3 million, an increase of 50%

Returned capital to shareholders totaling $19.1 million, including share repurchases and dividends paid.

Each WWE premium live event (WrestleMania, WrestleMania Backlash and Hell in a Cell) was the most viewed event in its history with year-over-year increases of 60%, 49% and 45%, respectively, in domestic unique viewership on Peacock.

WWE, in connection with Fox's Blockchain Creative Labs, launched its inaugural NFT sale on Moonsault, the Company's official NFT marketplace. The limited-edition collection, which was tied to the Hell in a Cell event, sold out within 24 hours.

WWE announced its second "Next In Line" class of 15 college athletes, further enhancing the Company's talent development program.

In July, WWE launched a new, enhanced digital platform for e-commerce and licensed merchandise in connection with its long-term partnership with Fanatics.

The full press release can be read at corporate.WWE.com.