WWE Reveals Paid-Network Subscribers, 2015 Revenue, More in 4th-Quarter Results

WWE reported record highs in WWE Network subscribers and total revenue Thursday as part of the release of its 2015 fourth-quarter results.  

According to WWE's earnings release, 2015 ended with 1.22 million paid subscribers to the WWE Network, which was a 49 percent increase from the previous year. It also reached a high-water mark of 1.24 million at one point during the fourth quarter.

The fourth-quarter subscriber count dipped slightly from 1.306 million subscribers at the end of the third quarter, but that number is expected to rise significantly in the coming months with WrestleMania 32 set for April 3.

In addition to that, the overall revenue of $658.8 million for the year was a 21 percent increase from 2014, and it was bolstered by record marks for the WWE Network, television programming, live events and merchandising both at events and through WWE Shop online.

WWE Investor on Twitter provided a graphic looking at some of the company's top economic and social accomplishments in 2015:

The following is a comparative breakdown highlighting the measurable gains WWE made in a number of areas from the end of 2014 through 2015:

Highlight	2014	2015	Net Gain
WWE Network Subscribers	816,000	1.22 million	49%
Total Revenue	$543 million	$659 million	21%
International Revenue	$78.1 million	$170 million	46%
Operating Income Before Depreciation & Amortization (OIBDA)	-$12 million	$69 million	675%
Net Income	-$23 million	$29 million	226%

Per WWE's report, Chairman and CEO Vince McMahon is thrilled with the gains his company has made:

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Our record revenue in 2015 reflected innovation across all of our businesses, which was highlighted by the successful execution of our network strategy. Over the next year, we will continue to focus on producing engaging content across all platforms, investing in emerging markets, and deploying technology across the enterprise to drive our long-term growth.

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Chief strategy and financial officer George Barrios shared McMahon's bullishness on WWE's outlook moving forward due largely to its success through WWE Network and YouTube:

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Our strong performance in 2015 reflected the effective execution of our strategy and our investments in content, technology and global markets. As an example, these initiatives led to WWE Network subscribers watching an estimated average of 188 hours of content per household, and WWE garnering more than 8 billion views on YouTube and achieving record international revenues of $170 million. These metrics demonstrate the unique power of our brands and our potential to capitalize on a multi-platform content strategy to drive long-term growth.

"

WWE also revealed its expectations for the first quarter of 2016, including an anticipated two percent increase in network subscriptions and an OIBDA in the neighborhood of $15 million to $19 million.

It can certainly be argued that the on-screen product has suffered as of late, with top Superstars such as John Cena, Randy Orton, Seth Rollins and Cesaro out with injuries. Also, Daniel Bryan announced his retirement Monday due to medical reasons.

That has left WWE scrambling to look for WrestleMania opponents for high-profile stars such as Brock Lesnar and the Undertaker, and it has forced them into potentially banking on a predictable main event of Roman Reigns against WWE World Heavyweight champion Triple H.

Despite all of the turmoil, WWE continues to thrive financially thanks in large part to the WWE Network.

The growth of the network seems unlikely to stop any time soon as it continues to permeate new markets, and that should operate in lockstep with the continued surge of WWE as a whole.

Follow @MikeChiari on Twitter.