Nick Khan Details Keys To WWE's Recent Success, 'Trickiest' Part Of Sale Talks
Just months into 2023, WWE finds itself in a pretty good spot financially. Changes both inside and outside of the ring have drawn plenty of interest, while rumors of a sale remain very much alive. In an interview with Sports Business Journal just days away from WrestleMania 39, WWE CEO Nick Khan attributed many things to the company's recent success while also tackling what he believes to be the most tricky aspect of a potential sale.
"If you look at the ratings and relevancy of our product, we like to think we're in a good position," Khan stated.
And, quite frankly, a look at the numbers makes it difficult to disagree. According to the SBJ report, year-over-year viewership is up nine percent for "Raw" on USA Network, eight percent for "SmackDown" on FOX, and even five percent for "NXT," also on USA. While citing internal numbers, WWE officials noted that when it comes to their premium live events on Peacock, the company is experiencing more than 50 percent in viewership gains on average. It's also notched live gate records in nine markets for "SmackDown" and seven for "Raw" as of March 6.
Keys To WWE's Recent Success
Overall, Khan chalks up WWE's recent success to a myriad of factors.
"Certainly Triple H," Khan said, "but that would also include the entire writing team, the producers, the superstars/in-ring performers and the system that Vince set up."
Khan believes that the system moves forward regardless of who is in charge, and the system has certainly seen changes in recent months, most notably with Paul "Triple H" Levesque taking over as WWE's Chief Content Officer. Outside the ring, the chatter of a sale persists. Comcast and Endeavor may not be interested in buying, but they've still been named alongside the likes of Disney, Netflix, and Amazon as potential buyers. There might just be one hiccup in potential talks, though, balancing live entertainment with overall programming.
"That's probably the trickiest of all the parts," Khan added. "But one thing that all potential buyers know is that the rights that Fox and NBCU negotiated for separately will obviously have to be adhered to and respected with all sorts of good faith attached to that."