Independent Researcher Predicts Low Numbers for WWE Network

An independent researcher by the name of Bradley Safalow has predicted a low number of subscribers will be announced during the July 31 earnings announcement from WWE. As noted, the company will hold their latest earnings conference call on Thursday, July 31, and will announce their current number of Network subscribers, as well as projected numbers for the future.

As noted by the latest edition of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, anything below 900,000 subscribers would be looked at as a negative in regards to the WWE Network. However, anything above 1 million would be a positive.

Safalow, who works for PAA Research and is one of the leading researchers when it comes to numbers related to World Wrestling Entertainment, is predicting the actual count of subscribers to be between 750,000 and 850,000. He is also claiming that the company will only likely achieve a count of 800,000 by the end of 2014.

Safalow does project positive numbers for WWE, though. He believes that the company will eventually reach up to 4 or 5 million subscribers over the next few years. The business venture will then appear as a huge financial success for WWE.

However, due to poor numbers currently, WWE will be executing drastic layoffs as early as Aug. 1. Talent Ricardo Rodriguez was the latest to suffer release from the company, as he was let go on July 30. Rodriguez had not been on WWE television on some time, although he had been competing on WWE NXT programming on the WWE Network as a masked luchador. As many as 10 percent of WWE’s employees may be let go throughout the next few weeks.

Editor’s Note:
Tomorrow’s call may get interesting REALLY quick.