WWE Financial News: TV Rights Fees Up, Venue Merchandise Down

– According to WWE’s 2012 Second Quarter Results, WWE’s TV rights fees were up, while venue merchandise sales were down. Here is the breakdown…

* Television Rights Fees revenues were $32.4 million as compared to $32.0 million in the prior year quarter. This increase was primarily due to improved terms and contractual increases from our existing programs, partially offset by the absence of rights fees for our WWE Superstars program.

* Venue Merchandise revenues were $5.4 million as compared to $6.3 million in the prior year quarter, primarily due to the timing of our Fan Axxess events, which are scheduled in conjunction with WrestleMania. Based on the number of days within the quarter that preceded WrestleMania, there were two Fan Axxess event sessions in the current year quarter compared to six event sessions in the prior year quarter. Total paid attendance and sales per capita at our North American events were essentially unchanged from the prior year quarter.

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