Inside WWE’s 10-K Filing – WWE identifies their competition going forward

WWE’s 2015 10-K filing with the SEC included commentary on which companies and industries WWE views as competition.

WWE specifically identified “pro and college sports” leagues as competition, as well as other forms of “live, filmed, televised, and streamed” entertainment.

The inclusion of “streamed” points to WWE going against other subscription-based, over-the-top services competing against WWE Network for entertainment dollars.

WWE also included an item that WWE will “face increased competition” going forward from “websites, mobile, and other Apps” delivering paid and free content.

The item points to WWE planning to introduce a new integrated website in 2016 that the company hopes will drive revenue for their digital media business.

WWE also placed themselves in the underdog position going against media companies that “have greater financial resources than we do.”

The full commentary on their competition reads:

While we believe that we have a loyal fan base, the entertainment industry is highly competitive and subject to fluctuations in popularity, which are not easy to predict. For our live, television, WWE Network, pay-per-view and movie audiences, we face competition from professional and college sports, other live, filmed, televised and streamed entertainment, and other leisure activities. We compete with entertainment companies, professional and college sports leagues and other makers of branded apparel and merchandise. We will face increased competition from websites and mobile and other internet connected apps delivering paid and free content, as streamed media offerings continue to expand.   Many companies with whom we compete have greater financial resources than we do.

From their 2014 10-K Filing:

While we believe that we have a loyal fan base, the entertainment industry is highly competitive and subject to fluctuations in popularity, which are not easy to predict. We compete with entertainment companies, professional and college sports leagues and other makers of branded apparel and merchandise for the sale of our branded merchandise.