WWE Studios and Lionsgate to Repartner on "Action Six-Pack"

Lionsgate (NYSE: LGF), the premier next generation global content leader, and WWE Studios (NYSE: WWE) are extending their longstanding partnership to encompass six new action films which will serve as starring vehicles for WWE Superstars as well as incubators for new and emerging talent, the two companies announced today.

The popular directing team of Jen and Sylvia Soska (SEE NO EVIL 2, AMERICAN MARY) will return to the WWE Studios and Lionsgate fold to direct VENDETTA, the first installment of the “Action Six-Pack” series, which will commence photography this summer and feature WWE Superstar Big Show®. The second installment of the "Six-Pack" series, which is currently in development, will commence photography this fall. WWE Studios will leverage its extensive multi-platform reach to promote each film.

Written by Justin Shady, VENDETTA centers on a hard-nosed detective who deliberately commits a crime to get thrown in prison, allowing him the chance to seek vengeance upon the criminal serving a life sentence for having brutally murdered the detective's wife.

“This collection of six high octane films will not only excite our fans, but provide a stage for emerging and talented filmmakers like the Soska Sisters,” said Michael Luisi, WWE Studios President. He added, “We couldn’t have a better partner in this enterprise than Steve Beeks and the team at Lionsgate, who have been great teammates and are proven distributors of this genre.”

“We’re thrilled to join forces with Michael and his WWE team on a series of modestly-budgeted action films that extend our longstanding and successful partnership,” said Lionsgate Co-Chief Operating Officer and Motion Picture Group President Steve Beeks. “We have a strong track record in this genre, and we’re delighted to team with the WWE juggernaut to deliver action-packed event films that will resonate with their global fan base and beyond.”

WWE Studios and Lionsgate previously collaborated on THE CONDEMNED and SEE NO EVIL, as well as the upcoming 2014 releases LEPRECHAUN: ORIGINS and SEE NO EVIL 2. Bradley Buchanan, SVP of Business Affairs, negotiated the deal on behalf of WWE Studios and Wendy Jaffe negotiated the deal on behalf of Lionsgate.

Update On WWE Tough Enough Filming

The next season of WWE Tough Enough will indeed be filming for six weeks at the WWE Performance Center in Orlando, beginning in early July. It will air this fall on the WWE Network.

Update On WWE 2K15 Release

The upcoming WWE 2K15 video game is now available for pre-order on Amazon.

A report released last week by Gameinformer.com suggested the game would be pushed back to "Fiscal 2015", around the time of WrestleMania 31 however the release date of game has been listed as October 28 for USA and October 30 everywhere else

The game has been announced for PS4, PS3, XBox One and XBox 360.

Rumor Mill - WWE Concern Over Vince Making Changes

Prior to the WWE business outlook call conducted by Vince McMahon and George Barrios on Monday, there was fear backstage in WWE that Vince might be making drastic management changes.

It's being said Vince feels his management team, not including Barrios, lead him to believe WWE would be getting more for its new TV deal, and there was great concern that Vince would be handing down major management changes as a result. As of this writing, we haven't heard of any departures or firings, but if Vince isn't happy, things will change very quickly.

Another WWE Investigation for Possible Securities Fraud

Ademi & O'Reilly, LLP issued a press release announcing that they are investigating possible securities fraud claims against WWE. "Specifically, WWE's statements that it would double the value of its domestic contracts for its two most popular shows, Monday Night Raw and Friday Night Smackdown, and that the prospects for its recently launched streaming video network were strong were false and misleading," reads the release. Read more at Ademilaw.com. [Thanks to Dot Net Member Ernesto Cruz]

Ademi & O'Reilly is a Milwaukee, Wisconsin based company identifies itself as specializing in fraud and shareholder litigation. The projections WWE released regarding their potential television deal seemed fair based on what various professional sports leagues earned in their recent television contracts. The network projections have been all over the place, but anyone going after WWE will have a difficult time proving that the company intentionally put out fraudulent numbers since they were always labeled as projections.

Interview with Hulk Hogan & Stephanie McMahon

Stephanie McMahon and Hulk Hogan did a chat with The Mirror in the UK on Monday. Below are some highlights:

* Hogan says he's home, back with WWE and some of his greatest fans are here in the UK so it made sense to come on the tour.

* Stephanie was asked if she will be wrestling Brie Bella. She said we will have to wait and see. She added that she's always training.

* Hogan said his favorite WWE Superstar is John Cena because he's a workhorse. He's also a fan of Daniel Bryan.

* Stephanie said her favorite part of the job is getting a reaction from fans and always being inspired.

* Hogan said he does not have any movies filming soon but said he had writers from Ron Howard's studios approach him before he re-signed with WWE and they are working on some kind of Hulk Hogan movie project. He hopes WWE will get on-board with it. Hogan said he had networks approach him and his wife for a new reality show but he turned it down.

* Stephanie said they are in discussions to try and figure out if there will ever be a WrestleMania event in the UK.

* They talked about The Ultimate Warrior. Stephanie is just glad WWE could bring Warrior back home, give him some closure and induct him into the Hall of Fame. She said it's tragic he's not here but those were wonderful memories that everyone will share from New Orleans.

* A fan asked Stephanie's first impression of Triple H. She said she was in college watching DX on RAW and she was intrigued by them. She said she was going to get killed for saying this but wondered if Shawn Michaels and Triple H had more of a friendship going on. She said she then met him and fell in love.

* She then joked that honesty is the key to a successful marriage. She said communication and still being love are the keys.

* Stephanie would be proud and honored for her daughters to work for WWE but that will be their decisions.

* Hogan was asked if he could be champion again. He joked about being the Geritol Wheelchair Champion.

WWE Conference Call coverage: Vince McMahon and George Barrios speak publicly following the WWE stock price crashing after news of the new NBCUniversal television deal was released

Vince McMahon and members of senior management hosted a conference call on May 19, 2014. The following are the highlights of the call.

-The call was hosted by WWE Chairman Vince McMahon, WWE CFO George Barrios, and WWE Investor Relations Michael Weitz.

-Weitz read through the legalities before turning things over to Vince McMahon.

-Vince said he hoped to give "a great deal of clarity" regarding where things are from a business standpoint. He noted that he was in London for Raw. He said the point of the call was to clear up any degree of misunderstanding and said they pride themselves in transparency.

-Vince said there was a "somewhat favorable outcome" in television deals. He admitted they were a bit disappointed in their NBCU deal, but they were able to nearly double their overall television rights revenue. "A good deal, not what we wanted," Vince said regarding the NBCU deal.

-Vince said the core business is "rock solid." He said they feel very strong and bullish in the WWE Network business model. Vince turned it over to Barrios.

-Barrios said they invested $75 million into the network in 2012 and 2013 and $40 million in staffing.

-Barrios said they have negotiated television distribution deals over the last six months and are still doing so in India. "Our analysis indicated that our content was undervalued in several of our key markets," he said. Barrios said that in three out of four markets they were correct. Barrios walked callers through a release regarding their financial outlook.

-Barrios said that if WWE Network produces one million subscribers by the end of 2014, it would yield a 12-month average of 650,000 subscribers for the year. The rate of adoption translates to a 2014 net loss ranging from $45 to $52 million.

-Barrios walked viewers through a 2015 potential outcome using a 1.5 million subscriber count while stressing that it's merely a scenario. He said they expect "a gradual ramp up over time" in network subscribers. He stressed that opening the network globally and expanding the platforms and marketing campaigns as keys.

-The opened up the phone lines for calls.

-A caller asked whether the launch of the network was an issue in television negotiations and whether they would delay the launch if they had to do it again. Vince said it was a fair question and he believes it did have an adverse effect, but waiting until after the negotiations would have delayed the network by another year.

-A caller asked about the NBCU deal. Barrios said they will not be greater than five years.

-Barrios said there is a $60 million cannibalization number in the United States for pay-per-view, and an additional $20 million worldwide.

-A caller noted that investors are concerned about the dividend. He asked whether investors can assume the dividend is safe. Barrios said that if they are successful executing the network strategy then they have the financial capacity to support the dividend, but that depends on successful execution.

-The caller noted that AT&T and DirecTV said they hope to invest in over the top distributors. He asked if WWE has had any talks about selling their content that way. Vince said he believes everyone will recognize that over the top distribution is the way of the future. He said there will be many opportunities that open up for WWE similar to the one mentioned by the caller.

-A caller was having cell issues and Vince McMahon could not understand his question (it was nearly impossible to make out). Vince turned it over to Barrios, but he disappeared from the call as well. "Shit," McMahon said. The conference call host put things on hold while they got Barrios back on the line. There was a few minute delay.

-A caller brought up the turnover with the network executive that was let go. Barrios said they are very comfortable with their current management team and would not get into specifics regarding the decision.

-A caller asked about the subscriber count. Barrios said they would get into that in their next conference call (on a quarterly basis).

-They brought back the caller with the bad phone connection and it flared up again. It was Brad Safalow, the man who was told by Vince that he could put him in a hammerlock if they failed to double their television revenue. Safalow resisted any temptation to bring that up and asked financial related questions.

-A caller said people are a little confused why total spending at a steady state would be higher during the ramp state. He mentioned content development as a possibility. Barrios said they are moving to a subscription business model that they don't have history in.

-Barrios said they are learning every day about the business side of the network. He said people want certainty, but he can't give it to them. A caller asked about what type of growth strategy they have for it. Barrios said they are promoters at their core and they have a team of marketers. He said he didn't want to let the cat out of the bag regarding plans. He mentioned his previous announcement of Tough Enough appearing on the network.

-A caller asked what type of growth numbers they have to see over the next 12 to 24 months from network growth. Barrios once again said he couldn't give an exact number. He said they need to see it and live it to get a perspective.

-The idea of the holiday season as a time for network subscriber growth since a lot of kids have to ask their mom and dad to order the pay-per-view. Barrios said he sees every single hour of every day as a time for new network subscribers.

-Barrios asked if there were additional calls. The host said no, then said there was another caller, then they wrapped up the call without taking the call.

'Total Divas' Renewed for Season 3

E! issued a press release on Monday to announce that the third season of Total Divas premieres on September 7. It also states that Rosa Mendes will be joining the cast. Read the full press release at TVbythenumbers.zap2it.com.

Triple H on the Cover of 'Muscle & Fitness'

WWE Superstar, COO and 13-time World Champion Triple H is featured on the cover of the June 2014 issue of Muscle & Fitness, on sale today. Though not the first time The Game has appeared on the front of the long-running magazine, doing so at the age of 44 is no easy task.

Inside the issue, Triple H talks about balancing his in-ring career with his executive duties, all the while spending time with his family. He discusses his lifestyle and training changes —in the midst of an always busy schedule — and attributes the positive changes to world-class strength trainer Joe DeFranco.

he Game also discusses the mission and evolution of the WWE Performance Center and how his new regimen under DeFranco’s guidance has altered the way prospective WWE Superstars train.

The longevity of The Cerebral Assassin’s career in and out of the ring can be partially attributed to his physical fitness and training routines.

Total Divas Recap 05/18/14

WWE Being Investigated For Possibly Violating Securities Laws (Again)

WWE is being investigated by former Attorney General of Louisiana, Charles C. Foti, Jr., Esq., a partner at the law firm of Kahn Swick & Foti, LLC, as to whether the company or its officers and directors violated state or federal securities laws by overstating the value of their new domestic TV licensing agreement.

Daniel Moore, an analyst with CJS Securities, said in a research note that, “Given management’s more optimistic tone and the fact that other major sports franchises have garnered much higher increases, this outcome is likely to be viewed as disappointing by many investors.”

A complete press release on the investigation is available at this link.

A similar investigation claim was reported back in April. WWE stated that claim had no substance or merit.

Friday was a horrible day for WWE as the company experienced fallout from their underwhelming new TV agreement with NBCUniversal. The company’s stock went into free fall, Vince McMahon lost nearly one third of his net worth and an investment firm called for WWE to fire management or explore selling the business.

Vince McMahon No Longer Billionaire After Losing $350 Million In A Day

Vince McMahon lost $350 million as of market close on Friday, as shares in his WWE took a beating from investors. The stock was down more than 40% since the market open. In fact, the stock, which had closed just below $20 on Thursday, opened down below $11. That immediately knocked the WWE boss out of the billionaire ranks, putting his net worth now at an estimated $750 million.

The stock fell after news that WWE had signed a new television deal with NBCUniversal for less than some investors had hoped. Benchmark analyst Mike Hickey estimated WWE got a 50% raise over its last TV agreement, but he expected the new deal to pay WWE double or triple its previous one.

McMahon became a billionaire for the first time in 2000, still holding onto a huge stake in the company. But WWE stock dropped a year later and didn’t recover that ground until January of this year, about 13 years or so later, when McMahon—who owns 52% today—rejoined the billionaire ranks. Now he’s down and out once again...More?

source: forbes.com