NXT is arguably the the hottest wrestling brand in the United States but you might be surprised to learn that NXT does not make money for WWE. On his recent podcast, Jim Cornette talked about the latest WWE earnings report. He pointed out that, according to the report, NXT sold $7 million in tickets and they had $20 million in expenses in 2016.
In 2017, they made $5.96 in ticket sales and there were $25 million in expenses. So basically, they lost $32 million in 2 years.
It’s no secret that NXT has never been profitable for WWE. However, it does concern me that they continue to lose money. It’s worth nothing that NXT does not have the benefit of being on a major television outlet so they are not getting money from TV rights. On the other hand, the brand should be looked at as an investment because they are creating new stars for the main roster. Cornette noted that NXT serves to help talent to learn (among other things) about camera positioning and working in big buildings.
Hopefully, Vince McMahon realizes that NXT is important and, perhaps, in a few years the brand can start turning a profit. In December, NXT aired on the USA Network for the first time and the ratings were pretty good for the 7 pm timeslot. That could end up opening doors for a future TV deal in 2019.
Listen to Cornette’s comments on NXT by clicking below:
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