WWE Quarterly Financial Earnings Report: Top 5 Moments from Vince McMahon

WWE released some important information today to the public. Today was their quarterly financial report for the final three months of 2011.

For those of you only interested in "fantasy booking" and who "wins" or "loses" a match, I suggest clicking away now. This won't be about any of that nonsense. This will focus on what Vince McMahon had to say about the current state of the company.

With that being said, let's get to the major highlights.

5. WrestleMania Rules All

WWE reported $483.9 million in year-end revenue compared to $477.7 million in 2010.

Not surprisingly, a lot of the credit was given to the huge success of WrestleMania XXVII back in April.

This isn't exactly breaking news, but it just tells you much big Mania is. It is not a make-or-break event for the company, but it really does hold a lot of water.

If WrestleMania does huge business, WWE will have a lot of breathing room. If not, trouble could arise later on in the year.

Thankfully, The Rock returned in February and helped WWE earn itself the second most purchased PPV event in WWE history. Yes, history. WrestleMania in 2007 is currently the highest.

4. Youth Movement Continues

Ones of the more interesting notes in the financial report was the PPV buy rates.

WWE held up pretty well to close out 2011. With many major names now out of the company (or wrestling part-time), now is the time to step up!

No more whining over a "spot." No more crying for "more TV time." No excuses. There is no more room for that heading in the new year.

As PWTorch covered nicely, the largest buy rates of the year were not surprising. Starting with the "big four" down to the events with the biggest consequences, here is their chart:

2011 Top-Ranked by PPV Buys

WM28: 1,059,000 buys
Rumble: 446,000 buys
Summerslam: 296,000 buys
Survivor Series: 281,000 buys
Extreme Rules: 209,000 buys
Elimination Chamber: 199,000 buys
MITB: 195,000 buys

WWE TLC was close behind with 179,000 buys. As most know, that show had very little star power on the show and no John Cena.

3. No More WWE Films?

"If new films strategy does not work, we will get out of films business," McMahon said. "(But) I really feel strongly that under this new guidance, this really will work."

That is a straight quote from Vince McMahon, thanks to PWTorch.com.

I am not sure if Marine III is going to help matters.

With a reported budget of $15 to $25 million in 2012 set aside for their movie division, you have to wonder if it is really worth it in the end. That is a lot of money to just be throwing away.

In my opinion, this could be the final year for WWE Films.

While some of their movies have been entertaining, it all comes down to profit. If they aren't making money, then it isn't going to last.

2. Best Mania Ever?

In terms of all measurements, Vince McMahon expects WrestleMania XXVIII to do the biggest and best business ever. That may seem like a stretch, but I believe him.

A lot is riding on The Rock vs. John Cena on April 1, 2012. Add in Chris Jericho vs. CM Punk, Undertaker vs. Triple H and many more matches!

You have a huge card, where a lot of the Attitude Era legends may be competing in their final matches. This truly could be a show for the ages.

1. WWE Network Update!

Yes, it is yet another update on the WWE Network. The longer this drags out, the more I am expecting a disaster to unfold.

For those that understand numbers, the launch of the WWE Network is huge. I mean, huge! It can't be underestimated how much this will mean to the industry's future.

This venture is on the level of the XFL (in terms of money lost) if this thing doesn't go well. It is much more than that, but the news just never seems to be positive.

In one quote, Vince used the words "potential network."

Potential? That can't be good. With WWE introducing shows to their online channels and no more commercials during Raw or Smackdown promoting the launch, you have to worry.

In another article by PWTorch, they note that the budget for the WWE Network is $35 to $50 million in 2012. Again, folks, this is going to be a huge year for the future of this business.

Good or bad, the WWE Network almost has to be successful in its launch this year. However, they currently have no channel to air said network, tons of money invested and no real, exact, clear direction.

It is going to be an interesting year for WWE...

Head on over to PWTorch.com for more news on today's meeting and check out the full report here.

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