World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE)

Description:

World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc. is a Delaware Corporation. It is an integrated media and entertainment company. It is an integrated media and entertainment company, mainly engaged in the development, production and marketing of television and pay-per-view event programming and live events and the licensing and sale of consumer products featuring its World Wrestling Entertainment brands. The Company's four business segments are: Live and Televised Entertainment, Consumer Products, Digital Media, WWE Studios (formerly WWE Films). The Company's Raw Superstars travel as one touring show while its SmackDown and ECW Superstars travel together as a combined tour. The Company's domestic cable and broadcast programs consist of 'Monday Night Raw', 'ECW', 'Friday Night SmackDown' and 'A.M. Raw.' The Company's agreement with NBC Universal includes 'Monday Night Raw' and the weekend program 'A.M. Raw'. 'Monday Night Raw' is a two-hour primetime program that is broadcast live on USA Network and is consistently one of the most watched regularly scheduled programs on cable television. In January 2009, it announced that WWE Superstars, a first run, original program would air exclusively on WGN America, Tribune Broadcasting's national superstation. It provides sponsorships in the US domestic market to meet the needs of its advertisers. The Company has established a worldwide licensing program using its World Wrestling Entertainment marks and logos, copyrighted works and characters on a large variety of retail products, including toys, video games, apparel and books. Videogames and toys represent important components of its licensing program as they generate substantial revenues through its licenses with THQ and Jakks Pacific, Inc. (Jakks), respectively. It has book publishing licensing agreements with Simon & Schuster and Dorling Kindersley, which allow it the ability to publish original content in a variety of genres, including fiction, histories, how-to, and biographies and autobiographies. WWE Magazine is a global men's lifestyle publication with native language editions in Spain, Mexico, France, Germany and Greece. Through its broadband network and sites, WWE generates revenue from the sale of online advertising, e-commerce, and the distribution of wireless content. In 2011, the company produced 241 live events throughout North America, entertaining approximately 1,500,000 fans at an average ticket price of $42.11. In 2011, it produced 80 live events internationally, reaching approximately 500,000 fans at an average ticket price of $68.74. These events were spread over several international tours throughout Europe, Latin America and Australia. The entertainment industry is highly competitive and subject to fluctuations in popularity, which are not easy to predict. In various states in the United States and some foreign jurisdictions, athletic commissions and other applicable regulatory agencies require it to obtain licenses for promoters, medical clearances and/or other permits or licenses for performers and/or permits for events in order to promote and conduct its live events.