WWE runs over 300 events annually and while the vast majority of them are broadcast via television, streaming services, and pay-per-view, a sizeable chunk of them are completely non-televised – better known as house shows. The company has held over 130 house shows throughout the United States and internationally in 2023, per Cagematch, though it looks like that number could drop considerably going forward thanks to its recent merger with UFC into TKO Group Holdings.
TKO Chief Operating Officer Mark Shapiro spoke at the UBS Media Conference yesterday and at one point revealed that the organization is currently looking to cut back on non-televised WWE events. Shapiro noted that while these shows bring unique benefits in getting more eyeballs on the brand as a whole, ultimately they’re more damaging to the company’s profits than they’re worth.
“While there’s a reason to have them because it’s good for the brand, we’re building audience, we’re putting them on in C and D counties,” he began. “So we’re really stretching the brand and we’re amassing a greater array of eyeballs from all demos, so it’s good for our long-term growth.
“From a margin perspective, they are dilutive. So there’s probably an opportunity, as we go through our efficiencies and our synergy opportunities, to cut back on some of those non-televised events, which of course will push our margin up. So we’re going through that exercise now.”
During the same conference, Shapiro hinted that it may be some time before the next media rights deal for WWE Raw is announced. He noted that because the show is produced entirely in-house and as a result network partners just simply have to air the show, they could wait until the night before their current deal with NBCUniversal expires to make a new deal in order to maximize the value of the RAW’s media rights.
If you use any quotes from this article, please give a h/t to Haus of Wrestling and credit UBS Media Conference