Nick Khan Confirms WWE Africa Talent Search Series

WWE looks to be continuing its push to become a truly global entertainment company. During yesterday's quarterly earnings call, WWE co-CEO Nick Khan announced that, in addition to renewing and improving the company's TV rights deal with MultiChoice Group in sub-Saharan Africa, WWE will soon begin a talent search throughout the continent. This initiative is set to start next week in Nigeria.

While WWE has had a presence throughout Africa for years, it seems that the company is taking further steps to improve visibility as well as recruit diverse talent for its roster. Khan revealed that WWE will begin producing localized content for these African nations, with the first series set to revolve around the upcoming talent search.

In recent months, WWE officials, including SVP of Talent Development Creative Shawn Michaels, have hinted towards the company expanding to territories outside the United States, including Japan and Mexico. Official announcements regarding these expansions are likely to come next year, according to Michaels. It remains to be seen if WWE intends to create even more global "NXT" brands, but it's notable that "NXT UK" is currently on a hiatus; the show is scheduled to make a return next year with some sort of revamp in the works.

As with any publicly owned company, growth is the most important factor to present to shareholders, and expanding further beyond the borders of the United States is one surefire way to do just that. During yesterday's earnings call, the company reported increased revenue and attendance, along with record viewership for their Money in the Bank, SummerSlam, and Extreme Rules premium live events.