WWE CEO Nick Khan confirmed Wednesday that the pro wrestling league’s writers are not members of the guild, and the current writers’ strike won’t affect WWE.
“Of course, we’re supportive of the writers who are members of the guild and their efforts, and we’re hopeful that a deal can be reached between them and the other side in short order,” Khan said on the earnings call Wednesday.
First quarter revenue for the network, whose parent company is Endeavor, clocked in at $297.6 million. Premium live events “Royal Rumble” and “Elimination Chamber” set domestic unique viewership records with year-over-year increases of 52% and 54% respectively.
Viewership for weekly flagship programs, “Raw” and “SmackDown” increased 7%, outperforming overall cable and broadcast television, which declined 15% and 6%, respectively.
North American Live Events ticket sales revenue increased 52% over the prior year period, reflecting a 37% increase in average attendance. In April, WWE announced an expansion of its partnership with Fanatics, with Fanatics assuming management of WWE’s on-site event merchandise business as of May 1, 2023.
The Writers Guild of America members started striking Monday night after the union and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers failed to reach an agreement to compensate writers more fairly.
The decision to strike for the first time in 15 years was made after six weeks of negotiations with the AMPTP, which represents major studios and distributors like Netflix, Apple, Disney, NBC Universal, Paramount, Sony, Discover-Warner and Amazon. Picketing began Tuesday.