World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) Tops Q2 EPS by 38c, Revenues Miss

World Wrestling Entertainment (NYSE: WWE) reported Q2 EPS of $0.52, $0.38 better than the analyst estimate of $0.14. Revenue for the quarter came in at $223.4 million versus the consensus estimate of $228.4 million.

Second Quarter 2020 Highlights

• Revenues were $223.4 million as compared to $268.9 million in the prior year quarter reflecting the timing of the Company’s large-scale event in Saudi Arabia; Revenues reached a record $514.4 million year-to-date, representing 14% growth from the prior year period
• Operating income was $55.7 million as compared to $17.1 million in the prior year quarter
• Adj. OIBDA1 increased to $73.5 million from $34.6 million in the prior year quarter
• Free Version of WWE Network was announced on June 1, unlocking a portion of WWE’s content library to expand reach and engagement of its direct-to-consumer streaming service for all fans
• WWE Network average paid subscribers2 declined 1.5% to 1.66 million while ending paid subscribers increased 6% to 1.69 million
• Digital video views increased 10% to a record 9.9 billion and hours consumed increased 15% to a record 374 million across digital and social media platforms3
• eCommerce revenues nearly doubled to $12.6 million, substantially offsetting the loss of venue merchandise sales with 76 fewer events in the quarter

COVID-19 Actions and Business Outlook

• Due to COVID-19 and related government-mandated impacts on WWE, the Company continued its various short-term cost reductions and cash flow improvement actions. (See first quarter 2020 earnings release). These actions contributed to WWE’s enhanced liquidity, which reached $548 million in cash and short-term investments as of June 30, 2020
• The Company is continuing to adapt its business to the changing environment with a focus on enhancing the production of content and furthering fan engagement
• Management may resume its opportunistic acquisition of stock under the Company’s $500 million share repurchase program, subject to WWE’s business outlook and liquidity as well as whether share repurchases compare favorably to other capital allocation alternatives
• Management continues to believe the Company’s growth prospects remain strong and that WWE is well positioned to take full advantage of the changing media landscape and increasing value of live sports rights over the longer term (See COVID-19 Actions and Business Outlook on page 7)

STAMFORD, Conn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- WWE (NYSE: WWE) today announced financial results for its second quarter ended June 30, 2020.

“Our second quarter financial performance was strong and demonstrated our ability to respond to the challenges posed by COVID-19,” said Vince McMahon, WWE Chairman & CEO. “We continue to adapt our business to the changing environment, focusing on the development of new content for global distribution platforms and increasing audience engagement to drive growth and value for our shareholders.”

Frank Riddick, interim Chief Financial Officer, added “In the quarter, we delivered revenue of $223 million and Adjusted OIBDA of $73.5 million as we continued to offset the impact of cancelled events by reducing costs. Our cash flow remains strong, and we believe we have the capital resources to deliver on our strategic initiatives and growth opportunities.”

For earnings history and earnings-related data on World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) click here.

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