WWE Reportedly Looking To Cut Costs In An Attempt To Boost 2017 Profits; Updates On Brand Specific PPVs, UK Expansion, Pyro & More

On the latest episode of Wrestling Observer Radio Dave Meltzer stated that WWE, “promised everyone,” they were going to have bigger profits in 2017 than they had in 2016 and they’re not anywhere close.

In an attempt to lower production costs this is believed to be the reason why there is no longer a pyro at WWE shows as well as why a lot of shows on the WWE Network are getting canceled.

As we have been reporting there are major cutbacks going on all over WWE right now. Including the cancellation of WWE Network programs and no longer doing the pyro at shows.

Related: Why WWE Is No Longer Using Pyro at Events

Meltzer has the following to say:

So last year’s profits were about $30 million and this year we’re about halfway through. I don’t have the exact numbers in front of me but it’s like five or six million. Which means there’s a lot of catching up to do. They’re not in any financial trouble but the Network subscriber number is a genuine disappointment. The growth coming out of WrestleMania that would have been expected wasn’t there.

Meltzer also had the following to say about the RAW and Smackdown Live brand specific PPVs:

The one thing that we have learned is that the two pay-per-views a month… that has not helped. The Network number is not growing the way they expected it to so that’s been a bad situation but I don’t think they want to drop one of the pay-per-views because I think that would hurt ratings a little bit.

He also noted that more cutbacks are expected in WWE and it’s one of the reasons why the company has been slow on the United Kingdom show. WWE’s tournament to crown a WWE United Kingdom Champion earlier this year cost a lot of money and the show will mean spending a lot of money for more tapings every month.