Vince McMahon Says Another WWE Saudi Arabia Event in 2020 Is Possible, Triple H On If AEW Is Taking WWE Market Share

Wrestlenomics has a very detailed recap of the July 16th WWE annual shareholder meeting. I recommend checking out their full recap, but some of the noteworthy highlights are below.

– When asked what the plan is to improve TV ratings, Vince McMahon said that WWE has a 30+ year track record of creating compelling characters and engaging audiences, and pointed to how they are seeing positive trends in social media engagement during the pandemic. He said TV viewership has been impacted negatively by the pandemic but that they remain the #1 show on USA Network and are consistently #1 on Friday nights in key demographics. He also said they expect additional promotion now from their TV partners now that sports is returning.

– They confirmed that construction on the new WWE headquarters was delayed due to the pandemic and that the WWE Performance Center in London has been shut down since March due to COVID-19 issues.

– When asked if NXT is a “minor league” for WWE’s main brands, or a third brand alongside RAW and Smackdown, Triple H said it is “both” and said he is happy with how NXT TV ratings have been.

– When asked about creating new stars, Vince McMahon said that Triple H has done a great job of creating new stars in NXT, and that those talents end up on RAW and Smackdown. He also mentioned how WWE is using social media to promote new talent. He noted that right now they don’t have a live audience, saying that the live audience is essentially the third performer in the ring.

– Vince McMahon said that it is possible that WWE will do another show in Saudi Arabia before the year ends, noting that Saudi Arabia has done a better job handling COVID-19 that the United States has.

– Triple H was asked if AEW is taking some of WWE’s market share. He said that when something brand new starts, it’s exciting and fresh, but that WWE has a very long track record of success, and that they will continue focusing on their product.

WWE CEO Vince McMahon responds to a shareholder question about what the company will do to improve TV ratings, from the annual shareholder meeting on Jul 16.

"We have a 30-plus year track record of creating compelling characters and engaging a variety of audiences…" pic.twitter.com/XV9EjFgyeG

— Brandon Thurston (@BrandonThurston) July 26, 2020