Yahoo Finance Calls WWE Network A Rough Draft For Other Brands

In the video above, Yahoo Finance talks about WWE stock shooting up 15% on Friday. They called the WWE Network "a rough draft of future offerings from content providers like HBO, Disney and all those other brands."

WWE Network Grows in the Middle East, North Africa, and Canada

The WWE Network continues to expand, announcing that it will grow its presence in the Middle East, North Africa, and Canada “in time for WrestleMania” on Sunday, March 29.

In Canada, the wrestling network made a deal with Rogers Communications, which will allow Canadians to watch OTT WWE content via carriage agreements with TV providers Telus Satellite TV and Videotron (which will go into effect on February 25) in addition to Cogeco Cable Canada, Telus Optik TV, and Shaw and Shaw Direct, which will begin in March.

WWE and Rogers had made a deal back in August 2014 that granted the media company exclusive distribution rights to WWE’s flagship Canadian programming for 10 years.

In MENA, pay TV network OSN now has an exclusive, five-year partnership with WWE that will let it distribute the network’s content in the form of a premium, linear channel. Viewers can subscribe to OSN to watch the channel through their set-top boxes and OSN Play. OSN’s Go will also let users access the content directly through the WWE app.

The WWE Network is currently available in over 170 countries.

Recap From WWE's Earnings Call: Vince Comments On Rumble Twitter Controversy, Network Content, More

Vince McMahon and other senior members of WWE management will be hosting an earnings call from WWE headquarters in Stamford this morning at 11am. The call starts with Michael Weitz, SVP Financial Planning & Investor Relations. Weitz gives a brief introduction before handing the call over to Chairman & CEO Vince McMahon.

* Weitz welcomes us and gives an introduction.

* Vince tells us good morning and talks about Network and TV ratings increases. Vince touts social media followers being up 85% from the same quarter in the previous year. He also touts their YouTube views, saying they're the #1 sports channel on YouTube now. Vince also talks about WWE App growth and says everything is in support of the Network. He talks about subscriber increases, which were detailed in the earnings release. Vince talks about the Network and hands it over to Barrios.

* Barrios says 4th quarter results surpassed their expectations. He talks about new features on the Network and how they've added new subscribers. They still expect a gradual subscriber increase over time as consumer awareness grows. He talked about the Network expanding internationally. He said the UK and Ireland became their second biggest market almost overnight. Barrios said other international markets that they won't be in by the end of this year will be worked on at a later date.

* Barrios talked about how the live NXT specials helped with growth. He also bragged on Steve Austin's live podcasts, saying they were two of the most watched Network shows ever, and said they're working on having more live specials and working on more exclusive content like talk shows. He talked about revenue increases and other financial data that was detailed in the earnings release.

* Barrios talked about some projects WWE came out with in the last year and talks about their reach on social media and with the WWE App. They expect more growth all across the board next year.

* It's time for the Q&A. Barrios was asked how they monitor to make sure fans who previously used a free month of WWE Network don't sign up for another free month. We've heard of many fans being able to do this but Barrios said they have some tools in place to check for this but didn't go into details.

* A caller asked to compare the WWE fanbase to UFC/MMA and asked about WWE signing talents from the MMA world to help bring some of those fans together. He didn't answer the second part but said WWE is all about multi-generational family viewing and that's different from MMA audiences.

* Barrios was asked about the budget for WWE Network content and feature films in 2015. Fixed costs for the Network will be about the same as last year but the films budget will be between $20 and $30 million.

* A caller asks Vince about Twitter controversy and the #CancelWWENetwork hashtag after the Royal Rumble, asking if it's good or bad for them. Vince says it's good for WWE because it created controversy. Vince said it was like "Santa Claus didn't come" to some fans for the Rumble. Vince mocked fans who say they're never watching again, saying he knows the fan will be glued to the TV next week.

* Barrios wouldn't comment on Network advertising revenue. Barrios took a few more questions before wrapping it up.

WWE NXT TakeOver: Rival Results

Darren Young Deletes Tweet About WWE's Abu Dhabi Tour, Says His Freedom of Speech Is Gone; WWE Responds

Darren Young spoke out against WWE's tour of Abu Dhabi earlier today with the following tweet:

"Why do we bring the best entertainment into a country like abu dhabi and they look down upon women and gays? I get it! #MillionsofDollars"

Young has since deleted that tweet. He posted the following after deleting it:

"My freedom of speech is gone. Gone but not forgotten."

WWE released the following statement:

“WWE does not discriminate against individuals regardless of age, race, religion or sexual orientation, and we continue to proudly support Fred Rosser (aka WWE Superstar Darren Young) for being open about his sexuality.

Unfortunately, WWE cannot change cultures and laws around the world, and thus we did not send Fred Rosser to the United Arab Emirates for our upcoming events for his own protection.

WWE also fully supports Fred Rosser’s right to express his views on personal social media accounts rather than WWE’s corporate platforms.”

Rumor Mill - Chyna accuses Triple H of hitting her during their relationship breakdown

Well, Stone Cold Steve Austin really opened up a can of worms when he asked Triple H whether his ex-girlfriend Chyna would ever be inducted into the WWE Hall Of Fame last Monday on his podcast for the WWE Network, and I'm sure he, nor Hunter, was fully aware of what the consequences would be.

Maybe The Cerebral Assassin could have predicted the inevitable accusations of hypocrisy and sexism that followed over his excuse that Chyna's porn career would exclude her from the institution in today's PG-rated environment. Even the criticisms of on-air bullying by Chyna's friend Vince Russo could be taken for granted. But I don't think even Hunter himself would have forecasted that Chyna would give a lengthy interview for the VIP section of Russo's website PyroAndBallyhoo.com giving full details of how their relationship broke down, including allegations of domestic violence against WWE's current Executive Vice President of Talent, Live Events & Creative.

It was well known that Chyna was the last person in the company to know about Paul Levesque's affair with Vince McMahon's daughter, Stephanie McMahon. Thus, the anecdote that Triple H once stood up Chyna at an arena whilst unbeknownst to her he flew with Vince and Stephanie to the next town in their corporate WWE jet isn't all that shocking, even though it's still objectionable behaviour.

However, what was surprising was Chyna's new claim that Triple H had assaulted her during an argument where she confronted him with her suspicions that something was going on behind her back:

"So I think Hunter's plan was to get me to leave the relationship first and then that way he can start dating Stephanie and like everything would be cool. So I would ask Hunter time and time again, I figured it was better just to address the problem and ask him honestly and I would have to believe his answer, so we got into a heated argument, we were not getting along, I told him 'I know something's going on. Don't tell me something's not going on.' He swiped my hand, I swiped his hand, he hit me. I went back like Jerry Springer and then I was like OK that's the deal breaker for me, the relationship is now over, so now I have to leave. After that, I know that he was crying and I know that he felt bad that he hit me, and my first initial reaction was to get up, and like I don't know, I was just in shock and it felt like a Jerry Springer moment, it was very surreal, and I just couldn't believe that he hit me. But he knows that like I don't stand for physical violence, albeit we'll get to that after with Sean [Waltman], so I knew at that point I had to leave, but I needed some sort of closure so when he was gone I started looking all over the house, and I looked into his, long story short, I looked into his briefcase and I found a love letter from Stephanie that had [been] dated a year back, so the whole time they were doing the storyline basically they were together."

I think it's important to stress that we have absolutely no reason to believe that these allegations are true, but equally, Chyna would be very foolish to make up such stories against an executive of a publicly traded company. As always, in such private incidents, the only people who know the truth are the two parties involved.

Chyna's tale then returned to familiar territory, as she corroborated the story in Matthew Randazzo V's book Ring Of Hell that immediately upon finding out that Triple H was two-timing her with the boss's daughter, she rung Vince McMahon himself up to inform him of the news, only to be told in no uncertain terms not to kick up a fuss about it:

"And I immediately called Vince McMahon, and got him out of a meeting that he was in and he said 'Chyna, what's so important that you have to talk to me right now.' I told him, because in my mind I was thinking he doesn't know, of course Hunter's not going to be dating his daughter, it's secret, he's gonna be on my side right? Well, doh. He said, 'Well, I hope you don't lose your job over this.'"

Chyna then details the environment backstage on the first Monday Night Raw after her break-up with Hunter, how he gave her the cold shoulder and never even spoke to her again until many years later (when he picked up Chyna's then boyfriend Sean Waltman for rehab), whilst Stephanie later pulled her aside and gave her a good ticking off.

Later in the interview, Chyna criticised WWE for ignoring her many pleas for help whilst she was plagued with substance abuse problems and suggested that this was an indictment of their Wellness Policy. The truth to this statement depends on when Chyna contacted WWE, as their open offer of WWE-sponsored rehabilitation for all former talent wasn't made until September 2007, long after her addiction issues began.

For a fuller recap of Chyna's chat with Russo, please read the coverage by DailyDDT.com.

We reached out to WWE for a response to Chyna's allegations that Triple H once hit her. They quickly got back to us and we obtained the following statement from Paul Levesque himself:

"The false statements and reckless allegations made by Joan Laurer (aka Chyna) on a recent podcast about a physical dispute are a complete fabrication. While Joan has had significant struggles in life, this does not justify making such claims."

source: cagesideseats.com

WWE NXT To Become Full Touring Brand

The plan is to take the brand out of the Florida area and to run smaller venues, including doing "sold" shows that the promotion can produce for a third party. In that instance, an organization or charity can reach out to WWE and "buy" the show from WWE NXT for a flat fee, which would produce the live event and then the organization would make their money back from ticket sales, concessions, etc.

Triple H Talks About WWE NXT Takeover, the Seth Rollins Incident, NXT Going On Tour, More

Triple H held a conference call earlier today to promote the WWE NXT Takeover: Rival show on Wednesday. Courtesy of PWInsider, below is a full recap:

He addressed Seth Rollins’ nude picture scandal. He said Colby has issued an apology to his family and friends. He said that it’s a personal issue and he would like to keep the call about tomorrow’s special. He said that it’s hard to believe it has only been a year since the specials have started. He then previewed tomorrow’s call (we will have the audio up on the site soon). He made a point to mention the women’s Fatal Four Way match and said that they are changing perceptions of female wrestling. I hope that carries over to the main roster.

He did a nice preview of the card, which should be great.

He also talked about growing the brand and the shots coming up in Ohio next month. He said that they sold a ton of tickets in the the first two hours for the first event just by mentioning it on Social Media, so they added the second show. He said that they will be doing tryouts that weekend around the Arnold Classic. He wants NXT to be a touring brand, albeit in smaller venues, by this time next year. He wants the guys to work every weekend so that they can learn and grow.

Mike Johnson asked about the plans to take the brand on the road in the next year and how it changes the career path for talents in NXT.

H said it doesn’t. The goal is still to get to the main roster. The important aspect will be to give them to work in front of different crowds and go. He said that are people that want to do “sold shows” plus they can tour on their own. He said he wants the talent to learn how to work on the fly, in front of different crowds. H said he hopes that he can get guys to the main roster, even if it means Vince pulling talents from him in the middle of programs and making him figure out how to fix the situation in the booking.

Mike talked about how H wants to grow the brand and how in the past he compared it to ECW and WCW, noting that they didn’t have to worry about a parent company bringing up talent in the middle of programs.

H said that guys did have contracts running out back then and the bookers had to deal with that. H also said he wants to make NXT so viable that it won’t be a demotion for guys on the main roster to come down to NXT and add an exciting element to the product. He also wants to have the situation where we are wondering what will happen when the NXT guys make it up to the big roster.

Mike referenced the Kevin Owens-Sami Zayn match, and all of their history. Mike asked how close we are to having an NXT Match on Mania.

H said it’s an interesting question. He said he would like to see it, but he also doesn’t want to lose perspective of what the brand is. He thinks they can get there he just doesn’t know how close they are to doing it. He said that the calls are like a reset to him. He spends the time before the call thinking about where they have been in the past few months.

Jason Powell asked about the noticeable difference with how the women are booked in NXT vs. WWE. Will it change on the main roster or is it just H’s vision vs. Vince?

H said it’s a mix of both. He said that they have a little different audience at NXT vs. the main roster. There are more casual fans of WWE and it takes a while to change perceptions, but he thinks they are doing that. It will take time to do it, but he thinks they will get there. He thinks that the world is looking at women differently, mentioning Ronda Rousey, and he thinks that will carry over to WWE. He is proud of women like Charlotte and Sasha.

He was asked to talk about Hideo Itami transitioning, since he hasn’t been the way he was as KENTA.

H said that there is a lot to consider. He has left Japan and its culture and it takes time to acclimate. He said that there is also a factor where the Japanese look at WWE as a huge upgrade and it’s a bit awe inspiring. H tells him all the time to let it go, cut loose. He referenced Steve Austin saying that you can’t think too much, you have to feel it. H has seen changes in him since he has gotten to NXT and he thinks he will get there.

H was asked if he has any concerns about Kevin Owens holding back and thinking too much.

H referenced a conversation the two had before the last show where he told him to stop thinking it, you can do it, just do it. He could have one of those moments, but he doesn’t think so. He sees Owen changing and growing, and he thinks Sami and him will tear it up tomorrow.

Scott Fishman asked how the roster feels about the opportunities that are being presented.

H said he feels that they are excited. NXT is a great place to be right now. It’s exciting. He talked about how excited talents are when they get their own shirt. He said that part of what they do is to get the talent to realize they are special and that they come to expect it, not be surprised by it. He said if he was on the main roster and NXT talents were selling merch (as in more than them) it would light a fire under him. It’s a good thing to do that. Competition is a good thing.

He was asked about the Zayn-Owens rivalry and how it was largely built outside of WWE.

H said that he likes that in NXT he doesn’t have to act like the past didn’t happen. He doesn’t have to dwell on it, but he can sure reference it. These two have a 14 year history so it makes sense to make it part of the story. It is a way better story than anything he could come up with. He loves the reality of it. He hoped that down the line this story could make it up to the main roster.

Dave Meltzer said he had a bunch of question and he knows he has to go down to two. He was asked about pushing women, mentioning Ronda Rousey. Meltzer said that they made her a big deal from the start and it was hard to recap as he kind of talked over H until H countered that she didn’t come out of nowhere. She made her name in Strikeforce and UFC took noticed and pushed her. She wasn’t working at a fast food place or something. H said that Charlotte has been at the top of the card in NXT and she is one of the main events. He will give the people want.

He was asked about recruiting athletes from other sports, are there new guys that he thinks they have something here. Meltzer mentioned Chad Gable. H laughed and said he is always evaluating the roster because it could get stripped by Vince at any time. He said he has an elite group, a next level group, then the talent in waiting group and finally the beginners. There is competition on every level. He said that they have somewhere between 65 and 70 people right now. He likes to be 65 to 100. 70 to 80 is very comfortable for him.

Robert (I missed the last name) thanked them for opening the doors to reporters. He was asked why Bayley wasn’t involved in the Like A Girl video. Steph showed the mainstream video to him on Friday and said he wanted to do an NXT one really quickly for Super Bowl weekend. The team was working a live event and it came down to who could get to the Center after the show to be part of it. Basically, it was last minute and there wasn’t a lot of guidance or planning done because of that. They did it fast to get it into the Super Bowl weekend buzz.

He was asked about the status of Alex Riley and whether he will be on commentary. He said that at his request, they are transitioning and Alex will get some opportunities. It sounds like he is coming back to wrestling.

Bill Apter sent congrats on H getting into Arnold’s Hall Of Fame. H said it was an honor.

Bill asked what it’s like when he sits down with Vince and watches NXT. He said Vince never sits down and they never watch it together. Vince usually has it on in the background since he is working so much. He said that he thinks Vince is proud of it. He said that he has spent a lot of time with him over the last 20 years and they have talked a lot about this subject, developing the future. They have talked about what they needed to do to grow the future. He said running developmental is what he wanted to do and he is happy Vince let him with very little oversight. It showed Vince trusted him. Vince is incredibly proud of the Center and the athletes.

Bill asked how indy guys can get noticed. H said we have a recruiting department and if they are working indies, they probably already know about them. He talked about William Regal being his trusted eye for talent. H said if you are out there doing it, continue learning your craft. Being a mechanic is important, but learn more about being a personality.

Bill said that he has been using HHH’s DVD and he might have to take a look at him. H said the one word he thinks of when he sees Bill is jacked, Superstar Billy Graham-esque.

Video: Sting Responds to Triple H

Seth Rollins Apologizes for Nude Photo Leaks from Last Night

There was an incident during last night's WWE RAW where a nude photo of WWE NXT Diva Zahra was posted to Seth Rollins' social media pages but quickly deleted.

Rollins' fiancee then posted two nude photos of Rollins, which were also deleted. Rollins' fiancee admitted to posting the photos and there was some hints made that Rollins and Zahra have been seeing each other.

Rollins responded to the situation on Twitter:

"I would like to apologize to all the WWE fans and my family and friends for private photographs that were distributed without my consent.?

WWE Nominated For Best Brand On Twitter

WWE has been nominated for Best Brand on Twitter in the Firestarter Awards. WWE is going up against Home Goods, Arby's, The Culinary Institute of America and Pretzel Crisps for the award. Fans can vote at this link.

Did Triple H Really Bury Chyna?

I’m sure by now everyone has either listened to or at least read the transcript from the Stone Cold Steve Austin interview with Triple H. While it may not have been the most revealing or groundbreaking of interviews they did touch upon certain topics such as CM Punk, fans booing Roman Reigns and if Chyna should be inducted into the Hall of Fame. The Chyna part seems to be the most controversial of the comments as it has received a certain amount of backlash namely from one Vince Russo who took to Youtube to dish out a 30+ minute rant about Triple H’s comments. However before we cover the Russo rant let’s address what Triple H actually said that was apparently so bad words like bury and revolting have been attached to it.

So Steve Austin asked if Chyna will ever go into the Hall of Fame to which Triple H replied with the following quotes

“Does she deserve to go into the Hall of Fame? Absolutely.”

“Completely 100% transcended the business, changed the business, paradigm shifter of the business.”

“Done what no woman had ever done before and was awesome at it and a phenomenal talent.”

“From a career standpoint should she go in the Hall of Fame? Absolutely.”

Then Triple H spoke about the flip side to the coin and how an eight year old could possibly look up Chyna online and find out about various events that she has participated in since leaving WWE. Triple H made it clear that he wasn’t criticizing her lifestyle choices and that he didn’t know her reasons or care to know it wasn’t a morality thing and it was difficult choice.

At no point did Triple H say she couldn’t or wouldn’t go into the Hall of Fame and, actually, on several occasions put Chyna over in my opinion. Dare I say it Triple H put Chyna over more in those few brief sentences than Chyna has put herself over the last 14 years.

Still this did not stop other people from looking at the comments differently and indeed Vince Russo took real objection to what Triple H had to say and put this video up. Please be warned that this video goes over 30 minutes and does contain mild swearing.

I appreciate Russo is trying to stick up for a friend but unfortunately his rant was filled with so many mistakes and silly comments that it could be argued that him interviewing Chyna will do more harm than good.

More?