NOC, SS and Breaking Point Buyrates

[Deleted]

So the WWE just released their third quarter results for the year, and I checked out the buyrates for the PPV events which happened from July to September and compared them to last year's.

Night Of Champions 2008: 273,000
Night Of Champions 2009: 267,000 (-2.2%)

SummerSlam 2008: 477,000
SummerSlam 2009: 369,000 (-22.6%)

Unforgiven 2008: 211,000
Breaking Point 2009: 169,000 (-19.9%)

However despite this, their quarterly revenue rose from $108.8m (Jul-Sept 2008) to $111.3m, mainly due to an increase of revenue from live events and televised production.

[Jimmy]

Unforgiven 2008: 211,000
Breaking Point 2009: 169,000 (-19.9%)

So much for the name change improving buyrates.

[Big Daddy Bad Booking]

The Summerslam drop doesn't surprise me, but the BP drop shocked me a bit. That's what happens when a rushed card comes to the table!

[Cactus Jack]

Hopefully this makes them reconsider those damned theme PPVs.

[VeggieOverlord]

The Summerslam drop off is particularly startling. If any of the "Big 4" drop, eyebrows should raise.

[Welfare Willis]

Nov 5, 2009 11:48:01 GMT -5 Jimmy said:

Unforgiven 2008: 211,000
Breaking Point 2009: 169,000 (-19.9%)

So much for the name change improving buyrates.

Should have gone with my ppv name, Super fantasic party time adventure '09.

[dicegirl72]

I wonder how SS 2008 compares with 2007---meaning was '08 MUCH higher than '07 because people were excited about Undertaker/Edge "Hell in A Cell" (which was the match I remember really looking forward to in 2008) and if 2009 was more of a regression to the mean. I don't know how many people usually buy SummerSlam.

[Lancers]

I haven't seen numbers that low since I last checked out my 401K

/social commentary'd

[Bubble Lead]

Nov 5, 2009 13:08:28 GMT -5 dicegirl72 said:

I wonder how SS 2008 compares with 2007---meaning was '08 MUCH higher than '07 because people were excited about Undertaker/Edge "Hell in A Cell" (which was the match I remember really looking forward to in 2008) and if 2009 was more of a regression to the mean. I don't know how many people usually buy SummerSlam.

2007 had 537,000 buys.

[Michael Coello]

Man, it always surprises me how WWE can have their PPV numbers drop year after year, yet somehow they always seem to make a profit for themselves. I mean, has it gotten to the point where the PPV aren't the big picture anymore?

[Deleted]

Nov 5, 2009 13:32:04 GMT -5 Michael Coello said:

Man, it always surprises me how WWE can have their PPV numbers drop year after year, yet somehow they always seem to make a profit for themselves. I mean, has it gotten to the point where the PPV aren't the big picture anymore?

Its due to the WWE expanding their market globally. Whilst their revenue from North America and Europe is slowly declining, the revenue from Latin America and Asia has exploded.

[dicegirl72]

Nov 5, 2009 13:19:09 GMT -5 Bubble Lead said:

Nov 5, 2009 13:08:28 GMT -5 dicegirl72 said:

I wonder how SS 2008 compares with 2007---meaning was '08 MUCH higher than '07 because people were excited about Undertaker/Edge "Hell in A Cell" (which was the match I remember really looking forward to in 2008) and if 2009 was more of a regression to the mean. I don't know how many people usually buy SummerSlam.

2007 had 537,000 buys.

Welp. So much for that theory. Thanks for the info.

[Ryushinku]

Ratings this year have been better than 2006 & 2007, but the buyrates are worse.

Go figure. Good job they did the number crunching right to deal with this financial issue.

[Bubble Lead]

Nov 5, 2009 15:22:45 GMT -5 Ryushinku said:

Ratings this year have been better than 2006 & 2007, but the buyrates are worse.

Go figure. Good job they did the number crunching right to deal with this financial issue.

I suppose as long as they manage to maintain a steady level of profitability, they arent so much concerned with buyrates. TNA follows a similar model.

Of course, if the numbers keep dropping it is going to eventually reach a point where they cant make up for it in other areas...and they obviously noticed because they tried to change up their PPV model with the themed PPVs and name changes.

[nonrev]

heh no wonder Punk is getting buried.

He can't even increase the pay-per-view buy-rates when he's main-eventing.

[Chainsaw]

Nov 5, 2009 12:04:52 GMT -5 Cactus Jack said:

Hopefully this makes them reconsider those damned theme PPVs.

And the whole 3 weeks between PPV thing as well.

[Richard]

Nov 5, 2009 12:06:51 GMT -5 VeggieOverlord said:

The Summerslam drop off is particularly startling. If any of the "Big 4" drop, eyebrows should raise.

Also, they are pushing Summerslam as their Wrestlemania of the Summer and, want cities to bid on it like they do Mania.

And just for grins and giggles, the main events:
Bash 2008 (remember they flipped these two this year): Triple H v. Edge for Smackdown, JBL v. Cena and CM Punk v. Batista on RAW
NOC 2008: Trips v. Cena for RAW, Batista v. Edge on Smackdown
NOC. 2009: CM Punk v. Jeff Hardy on Smackdown, Orton v. Cena v. Trips for RAW

Summerslam 2008: Edge v. Taker Hell in a Cell and Triple H v. Khali for Smackdown!, Cena v. Batista and Punk v. JBL for RAW.
Summerslam 2009: Jeff Hardy v. CM Punk TLC match for Smackdown, Cena v. Orton and DX v. Legacy for RAW.

Unforgiven 2008: Smackdown Championship Scramble, RAW Championship Scramble and, HBK v. Y2J
Breaking Point 2009: Undertaker v. Punk submission match for Smackdown, DX v. Legacy Submissions count anywhere and Cena v. Orton I Quit for RAW.

[Mac]

They still sell a lot of merchandise and DVDs, and these PPVs are too pretty big crowds. If I had my choice I'd spend $150 to go to a live event than $40 on a PPV, its much more enjoyable... plus the lines at the T shirt stands are packed from the time they open the gates until closing so they're making money hand over fist selling Jeff Hardy armbands for $20 a pop.

[Jedi-El of Tomorrow]

Nov 5, 2009 13:19:09 GMT -5 Bubble Lead said:

Nov 5, 2009 13:08:28 GMT -5 dicegirl72 said:

I wonder how SS 2008 compares with 2007---meaning was '08 MUCH higher than '07 because people were excited about Undertaker/Edge "Hell in A Cell" (which was the match I remember really looking forward to in 2008) and if 2009 was more of a regression to the mean. I don't know how many people usually buy SummerSlam.

2007 had 537,000 buys.

2007 was helped out by the return of Mysterio and Triple H, and Cena vs Orton when it was new. 2008 had the Cell match and Batista vs Cena.

This year's really didn't have anything that could compete with that. Cena vs Orton (which was a good match), Punk vs Jeff in TLC (another good match) and DX vs Legacy (good match), don't carry that same weight.

Breaking Point dropping isn't a shock. Last year's Unforgiven card had Jericho vs HBK, and 3 Scramble matches (new fun concept). This year's card couldn't compete with it. Punk vs Taker may have been the big match to get people to buy, but that's nothing with last year having 4 matches people were interested in.

This year's had quite a few good ppvs, but they've went down as the year has gone on, and the matchups aren't as engaging as last year.

Nov 5, 2009 20:23:38 GMT -5 Mac said:

They still sell a lot of merchandise and DVDs, and these PPVs are too pretty big crowds. If I had my choice I'd spend $150 to go to a live event than $40 on a PPV, its much more enjoyable... plus the lines at the T shirt stands are packed from the time they open the gates until closing so they're making money hand over fist selling Jeff Hardy armbands for $20 a pop.

Along with the DX glowsticks. They may only cost about $5, but judging by what you see on television, they turn a profit on those easily.

[Deleted]

Clearly there is but one solution.

SummerSlam needs to be replaced with WWE Casket Match - that'd sell!