Wrestlenomics
380 episodes - English - Latest episode: 15 days ago - ★★★★★ - 34 ratingsWrestlenomics covers the business of pro wrestling. Pollock & Thurston is a weekly podcast hosted by John Pollock of POST Wrestling and Wrestlenomics’ Brandon Thurston. They are often joined by a relevant guest. Wrestlenomics Radio is also available weekly for subscribers at patreon.com/wrestlenomics, and is hosted by Brandon Thurston. The video version incorporates charts and visual elements.
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Episodes
23: Wrestlenomics Radio: Jinder experiment done?, NJPW revenue, Zayn & Owens sent home
November 19, 2017 22:28 - 2 hours - 117 MBChris Harrington (@mookieghana) and Brandon Howard (@BrandonThurston) discuss recent events in wrestling news, including: WWE in India, NXT vs. ROH in San Antonio, James Ellsworth, NJPW's revenue for the year, Wrestle Kingdom 12 possibly coming to PPV, Sami Zayn and Kevin Owens sent home from European tour, Zayn vs. Roman Reigns as an attendance draw, WWE legal update, the NWA title and more! Become a Patreon supporter and see the show notes with exclusive detail, article links, commentary f...
Wrestlenomics Radio: Wrestling Observer Hall of Fame ballots
November 09, 2017 21:00 - 1 hour - 61.6 MBChris Harrington (@mookieghana) and Brandon Howard (@BrandonThurston) discuss who they voted for in this year Wrestling Observer Hall of Fame balloting. Includes discussion on candidates like AJ Styles, CM Punk, Junkyard Dog, Edge, Randy Orton, Jun Akiyama, CIMA, Hayabusa, Sgt. Slaughter, Cien Caras, Blue Panther, Villano III, Los Misioneros de la Muerte, Jimmy Hart, Gary Hart and more! Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/wrestlenomics-radio/donations Advertising Inquiries: http...
22: Wrestlenomics Radio: Jericho vs. Omega at WK12, WWE releases, WWE popularity
November 05, 2017 22:52 - 2 hours - 117 MB00:00:00 Banter: Amazon Alexa, curling 00:09:54 New Japan: Jericho vs. Omega, Switchblade, US date announced 00:48:20 AJPW/NJPW/DDT attendance 00:57:05 WWE releases Emma, Summer Rae, Darren Young, Leo Gao and Sawyer Fulton 01:26:04 Audio from our YouTube show: WWE popularity, Google Trends, average attendance, How WWE can prevent another stock price crash YouTube link: https://youtu.be/WAF1oSjAEVM Get early access to our Wrestling Observer Hall of Fame discussion via our Patreon page: patr...
21: Wrestlenomics Radio: WWE Q3 2017 Results & Analysis: WWE Network subs, attendance & more
October 26, 2017 22:56 - 1 hour - 81 MBChris Harrington (@mookieghana) and Brandon Howard (@BrandonThurston) review and analyze the latest WWE quarterly financial report. Video version of this podcast with looks at graphs and documents is available for patrons at patreon.com/wrestlenomics Find Brandon's written report on the Q3 results at Fightful.com. Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/wrestlenomics-radio/donations Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.co...
20: Wrestlenomics Radio: WWE wellness policy, illnesses before TLC, Powerbomb.tv & SMV partner
October 22, 2017 21:16 - 2 hours - 117 MBChris Harrington (@mookieghana) and Brandon Howard (@BrandonThurston) talk all these topics: 00:05:08 WWE wellness policy, Triple H’s nutritionist 00:48:43 Neville, Nia Jax, Jimmy Jacobs 01:12:45 Illnesses take Roman Reigns, Bray Wyatt off TLC, Kurt Angle and AJ Styles on 01:36:35 Intelligence test answer: Mookie reveals how many performers worked for WWF in 1998 01:48:52 Powerbomb.tv and Smart Mark Video partner up; FloSlam update 01:56:25 New Japan news: Power Stuggle advance sell out, “bi...
19: Wrestlenomics Radio: Neville walks out, Jimmy Jacobs fired; GWN launch; Lucha Underground
October 15, 2017 00:00 - 2 hours - 116 MBChris Harrington (@mookieghana) and Brandon Howard (@BrandonThurston) talk all these topics: 00:00:00 Neville walks out, Jimmy Jacobs fired, Young Bucks 00:38:24 Global Wrestling Network launch 00:53:04 The uncertain future of Lucha Underground 01:10:50 Wrestle Kingdom ticket sales, Kidani moves to BOD 01:15:42 LeakyGabe 01:24:42 Bluray version of WWE home video releases canceled 01:36:54 Tian Bing WWE China research, upcoming international tour 01:48:26 - 02:53:51 MLW follow up, Pro Wrestli...
18: Wrestlenomics Radio: David Lagana on relaunch of NWA and future of media in wrestling
October 08, 2017 22:22 - 2 hours - 116 MBDavid Lagana (@Lagana) joins Chris Harrington (@mookieghana) and Brandon Howard (@BrandonThurston) for a discussion about the relaunch of the National Wrestling Alliance and how media is used in the modern wrestling industry. Lagana is a business partner to Billy Corgan who recently purchased the NWA, effective October 1. Lagana worked previously as a writer and producer for WWE (2002-2008), Ring of Honor (2009-2011) and TNA (2011-2016). Become a Patreon supporter and see the show notes wi...
17: Wrestlenomics Radio: Young Bucks get cease & desist, WWE RAW & SmackDown attendance
September 30, 2017 21:05 - 2 hours - 116 MBCo-hosts Chris Harrington (@mookieghana) and Brandon Howard (@BrandonThurston) discuss all of these topics in pro wrestling business as only they can! 00:03:25 WWE sends Young Bucks cease and desist 00:35:10 Is WWE attendance really down? 01:03:50 Were big matches at No Mercy an attempt to pop Network subs? 01:21:08 PWG ticket prices 01:29:21 Legal update: WWE again resisting subpoena, Bagwell/Raven royalties, Titus O’Neil 01:59:46 WWN email leak, WWE’s investment in FloSports 02:28:30 MLW l...
16: Wrestlenomics Radio: FloMoney, FloProblems; WWE Network Survey; Jinder Mahal promo
September 23, 2017 22:15 - 2 hours - 116 MB00:02:35 WWN/FloSlam lawsuit 01:18:32 WWE Network survey 02:47:40 Jinder Mahal promo Chris Harrington (@mookieghana) and Brandon Howard (@BrandonThurston) lead off looking at the WWN/FloSlam dramamania. It’s a perfect storm of Wrestlenomics interests: lawsuits, OTT services, indie wrestling, new revenue models! The WWE Network put out a survey testing out various new features that might be included in a future premium tier of the service. Chris and Brandon detail and speculate on every as...
15: Wrestlenomics Radio: Fact-checking Roman Reigns and Vince McMahon’s recent promos
September 16, 2017 23:43 - 2 hours - 117 MBChris Harrington (@mookieghana) and Brandon Howard (@BrandonThurston) consider how true the in-character comments of Roman Reigns and Vince McMahon were on this past week’s RAW and SmackDown, respectively. Is Reigns really selling tickets better than John Cena? Are ticket sales “great” as Reigns said? Is revenue “sky high”? Could WWE make it as a business without Cena? Has Vince McMahon really never lost a lawsuit? Is he really a billionaire? Would Kevin Owens go bankrupt trying to sue WWE?...
14: Wrestlenomics Radio: GFW-Jarrett turmoil, Jericho book review, Kavita Devi, Baron Corbin
September 08, 2017 14:12 - 2 hours - 117 MBChris Harrington (@mookieghana) and Brandon Howard (@BrandonThurston) discuss the drama surrounding Jeff Jarrett’s departure from GFW and potential consequences. Mookie gives an honest review of Chris Jericho’s new book, providing the blurb, “Insatiably disgusting!” How did AAA’s TripleMania do on Twitch? Kavita Devi gained mainstream media attention in India for her match at the Mae Young Classic. Ring of Honor COO Joe Koff is making the interview rounds, and Chris and Brandon discuss some...
13: Wrestlenomics Radio: NJPW Biz talk with @EvanDeadlySinsW
August 30, 2017 14:00 - 1 hour - 82 MBChris Harrington and Brandon Howard talk all about New Japan business as well as other Japanese promotions with NJPW expert and reddit.com/r/NJPW moderator @EvanDeadlySinsW! We look at everything from Tanahashi's importance on 2017's G1 to whether the company is capping out, fundamentals of US expansion, Young Lions, how other Japanese companies are performing, revenue estimates and wrestler salaries and lots more. Become a Patreon supporter and see the show notes with exclusive detail, a...
12: Wrestlenomics Radio: WWE Survey, Wreddit, Google Trends, Japanese ELO Ratings
August 26, 2017 12:30 - 2 hours - 116 MBChris Harrington (@mookieghana) and Brandon Howard (@BrandonThurston) discuss the week in pro wrestling business! WWE put out a new survey. GFW says they're starting an OTT service. A quick look at freshly-collected Google Trends on he entire WWE main roster. Chris and Brandon find some interesting results in a recent census of Wreddit. They weigh-in with their PPV buy predictions for the Mayweather-McGregor fight. WWE lawyer C. Scott Amann is revealed to be of no relation to WWE doctor Chr...
11: Wrestlenomics Radio: CM Punk lawsuit, Summerslam staying in Brooklyn, Triple H industry call, Daniel Bryan and more!
August 19, 2017 17:41 - 2 hours - 117 MBChris Harrington (@mookieghana) breaks down new details about the lawsuit between CM Punk and Dr. Chris Amann. Brandon Howard (@BrandonThurston) talks NJPW G1 Climax attendance and gates. WWE announced it's returning to Brooklyn again next year for Summerslam. Decoding Triple H's NXT conference calls. Has WWE's talent philosophy changed in the last few years? What's the final word on NJPW G1 Climax attendance? More turnover at FloSlam. The latest on Shane McMahon's media company. And more! ...
10: Wrestlenomics Radio: WWE Network in China, NJPW G1 Climax update, GFW, Ronda Rousey
August 13, 2017 01:27 - 2 hours - 115 MBThe WWE Network is finally coming to China! Chris Harrington (@mookieghana) and Brandon Howard (@BrandonThurston) talk what this means for WWE's business. Later they decode a recent Observer report about WrestleMania attendance. The wrestlemetricians try to explain the reasons behind GFW's sparsely-attended recent live events and contrast the large expected crowd from Progress Wrestling. Which promotion has had the most turnover in the last seven years? What was more popular in the late 1990s...
9: Wrestlenomics Radio: Cena vs. Nakamura, Brock Lesnar, G1 Climax Attendance and more!
August 05, 2017 23:25 - 2 hours - 118 MBChris Harrington (@mookieghana) and Brandon Howard (@brandonthurston) talk whether John Cena vs. Shinsuke Nakamura should've been on a PPV. Would Brock Lesnar leaving WWE hurt the Network? Could UFC and WWE ever end up being owned by the same parent company? How's G1 Climax attendance doing versus prior years? Check out Mookie’s work at wrestlenomics.com and indeedwrestling.com. Read Brandon’s latest at fightful.com. Email questions and comments to [email protected]. Contribute to o...
8: Wrestlenomics Radio: WWE Q2 report, NJPW global plans, Reigns wins YouTube
July 28, 2017 03:38 - 2 hours - 116 MBHosts Chris Harrington (@mookieghana) and Brandon Howard (@brandonthurston) discuss WWE's Q2 earnings report. Could RAW and SmackDown really go to Facebook? Chris and Brandon have a magic spreadsheet that reveals true WrestleMania attendances. What does it mean for Roman Reigns to be top YouTube performer? Plus, rumors of Brock Lesnar's return to MMA and the megaslam dunk era! DM @mookieghana for information on how to contribute to the Professional Wrestling Legal Research & Preservation Gr...
7: Wrestlenomics Radio: WWE Q2 Preview, NJPW in the U.S.
July 15, 2017 20:20 - 2 hours - 116 MBHosts Chris Harrington (@mookieghana) and Brandon Howard (@brandonthurston) talk the upcoming WWE Q2 earnings release, New Japan's debut in the U.S. market and future plans, the possibility of Sinclair Broadcasting selling Ring of Honor, WWE's data breach, the rebranding of Impact to GFW and more! Plus, they discuss historical revenue and payroll figures for WWF and WCW which Chris recently discovered via government documents. Please consider contributing to the Professional Wrestling Lega...
6: Wrestlenomics Radio: The Amazing Technicolor Bar Graphs
June 30, 2017 04:11 - 1 hour - 100 MBHosts Chris Harrington (@mookieghana) and Brandon Howard (@BrandonThurston) file Cody's taxes, talk philosophy degrees and failed statistics exams. They imagine how a theoretical wrestlers' union could come to exist. They discuss whether the fallout from the Benoit family deaths hurt WWE's business, as well as Brandon and Chris's own reactions to the tragedy. Plus: parking lot steroids, whether Daniel Bryan will return to the ring, Mauro Ranallo's return to WWE, World Class trademarks, Ring o...
5: Wrestlenomics Radio: Pro Wrestling's Aging TV Audience
June 17, 2017 14:28 - 2 hours - 116 MBHosts Chris Harrington (@mookieghana) and Brandon Howard (@BrandonThurston) discuss why pro wrestling's TV audience is aging so quickly, WWE demographics, high YouTube views for the Brock Lesnar-Samoa Joe angle, Kenny Omega vs. Mil Mascaras, the occasional futility of Wrestlenomics, whether Cody vs. Kazuchika Okada will end in a double countout, the WWE Network class-action lawsuit, a special guest appearance from the little man who lives in Brandon's refrigerator, New Japan, Ring of Honor, N...
4: Wrestlenomics Radio - George Barrios' Technocractic Utopia of Entertainment
June 02, 2017 19:44 - 2 hours - 116 MBHosts Chris Harrington (@mookieghana) & Brandon Howard (@BrandonThurston) are back to talk George Barrios comments on studying their fanbase, data analytics, consumer consumption and the commodification of PPVs, wholesale partners, India, India, more India, India, unannounced/announced ICW & Progress deals, FloSports new model, smell-o-nomics, WWE wrestler contracts from 1985 to 2013, eyeball delivery services, Khali's social media metrics. We talk a lot about India. And the WWE Network. And ...
3: Wrestlenomics Radio: Core of the Core
May 19, 2017 16:21 - 1 hour - 82.5 MBHosts Brandon Howard (@BrandonThurston) & Chris Harrington (@mookieghana) are back for 90 minutes to talk: -George Barrios at the Needham Emerging Technology Conference: Evolution of WWE, WWE Network Library & Rights, India, Core of the Core, Corporate's take on the Wellness policy, Netflix comparisons, George's scorecard of biggest WWE stars by age (Transcript) - New Japan's Financials (Brandon's Fightful article), New Japan World, Japanese Attendance, and the upcoming US tour (with Press C...
2: Wrestlenomics: Cinco de Wrestlenomics (WWE Q1)
May 06, 2017 13:19 - 1 hour - 89.8 MBCo-hosts Chris Harrington (@mookieghana) and Brandon Howard (@BrandonThurston) break down: WWE Q1 Conference Call including churn, customized offers, renewal talks, women as gatekeepers, performance center costs, network tiers & milestones, weekly UK show, e-sports, localization and Barrios talks "ethnocentrism" Hulu's new $40 TV Service ESPN cutting staff Female Raw Demographics & ratings Vince McMahon script & legality of staged readings Corgan buys NWA WWE Dubai Tryouts 90 minutes of the ...
1: Wrestlenomics Radio: WWE Business Partner Summit 2017
April 23, 2017 23:35 - 1 hour - 57.2 MBNew episode of the revamped Wrestlenomics Radio with co-hosts Chris "@mookieghana" Harrington and Brandon "@BrandonThurston" Howard. Topics: WWE Business Partner Summit 2017 Wrestling goes behind the YouTube Restricted Content Wall WWE 2017 Schedule revealed in Lawsuit Child / Adult / Aging Metrics Eric Bischoff’s IRW LU on Netflix Sinclair acquiring Tribune? Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/wrestlenomics-radio/donations Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands...
Wrestlenomics Radio: WWE 2016
February 12, 2017 20:38 - 1 hour - 94.5 MBHost Chris Harrington (@mookieghana) and Fightful.com's Brandon Howard (talk about WWE 2016 results, why Halle Berry belongs in the WWE HOF, logistics costs, who moves the most merchandise, Smackdown's surprising house show trends for January, Linda McMahon's confirmation hearing, 205 Live touring, logistics & efficiencies, FloSlam vs WWE Network, lawsuits, developmental records, Mexico being neglected, WrestleMania subscriber predictions and lots more. Support this podcast at — https://redc...
Wrestlenomics Radio: WWE Q3 Results
October 28, 2016 16:47 - 1 hour - 93.7 MBWrestlenomics Radio host Chris Harrington (@mookieghana_ is joined by fellow pro-wrestling journalists Keith Harris (cagesideseats.com) and Brandon Howard (fightful.com) to talk the WWE Q3 results. We look at 2017 ambition, the latest WWE Network subscriber number, what could drive/diminish WWE's future prospects and lots about the new FloSlam streaming service. We review investor & analysts questions for WWE including whether they would ever sell the company and future television rights deal...
Wrestlenomics Radio: July Update (UFC Sale, Brexit, Int'l Update)
July 13, 2016 14:18 - 1 hour - 71.3 MBHost Christopher Harrington (@mookieghana) comes out of the wilderness and into your podcasting device with an unexpected episode talking about impact of the UFC Sale on WWE Valuations, the impact of Great Britain's decision to leave the European Union on WWE business and the loss of Gerrit Meier, formerly the president of WWE International. Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/wrestlenomics-radio/donations Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Support this podcast...
WWE Q1 Results, Emerging Markets Talk, KPI Switches and Worked WrestleMania #s
May 19, 2016 16:54 - 1 hour - 62.4 MBThe best in the business, Chris "mookieghana" Harrington returns with his quarterly episode of Wrestlenomics Radio! Topics covered in this episode are WWE Q1'16 Results, Changes to WWE Key Performance Indicators, WWE's choice for key International Markets (especially with Emerging Markets), worked WrestleMania attendance numbers and more! Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/wrestlenomics-radio/donations Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Support this podcast ...
Wrestlenomics Radio: WWE 2015 Results and 2016 Forecasting
February 22, 2016 21:57 - 2 hours - 110 MBVoices of Wrestling writers Chris "Mookie" Harrington (@mookieghana) and guest Brandon Howard (@adecorativedrop) cover WWE 2015 results, predictions for WWE Network subscribership levels and what opportunities remain for WWE growth in 2016. Includes a run-in from Cagesideseats writer Keith Harris (@glasgowkjh). Two hours of #wrestlenomics radio analysis and insights. Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/wrestlenomics-radio/donations Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/br...
Wrestlenomics Radio: WWE Q4 Earnings Report
February 12, 2016 15:06 - 26 minutes - 23.9 MBChris Harrington (@mookieghana) breaks down the latest WWE financial news as the company reports on Q4 earnings. The episode covers why the WWE stock took a tumble, what drove an incredible quarter for net revenue growth, WWE Network subscriber statistics, the ever-fascinating Q&A portion of the conference call (including several long answers from Vince and several non-answers from Barrios) and how WWE business compares in the WWE Network phase versus the traditional pay-per-view model era. ...