As we reopen the economy and discretionary spending picks up, life is getting back in gear. One of the joys we have missed is piling into a packed stadium. In many ways, this is the very heart of “reopening” – being able to attend some show, match, or performance, along with thousands of other people, shoulder-to-shoulder, witnessing a show.
And one of the most American forms of that type of experience is professional wrestling – which has certainly been a missing piece of the equation over the past year.
For example, the WWE just announced a 25-city live event tour set to take flight over the summer. It symbolizes the return to normal life for wrestling fans.
Who likes pro wrestling? How about over one billion social media followers. In fact, it’s the number one most viewed topic on YouTube in the US and number four in the world.
This has implications for social media players like Snap Inc (NYSE:SNAP) or Pinterest Inc (NYSE:PINS), among others.
And for those who aren’t into pro wrestling, another important game is also at stake here: related stocks positioned to benefit from the growth engine firing up through this mechanism.
With that in mind, we take a look at several stocks that could benefit, including World Wrestling Entertainment Inc (NYSE:WWE), Clubhouse Media Group Inc (OTCMKTS:CMGR), and Endeavor Group Holdings Inc (NYSE:EDR).
World Wrestling Entertainment Inc (NYSE:WWE) is an integrated media and entertainment outfit that engages in the sports entertainment business in North America, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, the Asia Pacific, and Latin America. It operates through three segments: Media, Live Events, and Consumer Products.
The Media segment engages in the production and monetization of long-form and short-form media content across various platforms, including WWE Network, pay television, and digital and social media, as well as filmed entertainment. The Live Events segment is involved in the sale of tickets, including primary and secondary distribution; provision of event services; and sale of travel packages related to its live events.
World Wrestling Entertainment Inc (NYSE:WWE) recently announced that SummerSlam will take place from Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas on Saturday, August 21 at 8 pm ET/5 pm PT, marking the first time the annual event has been held at an NFL stadium. According to the release, located adjacent to the world-famous Las Vegas Strip, Allegiant Stadium is a state-of-the-art global events destination and home to the Las Vegas Raiders. SummerSlam will be one of the first sporting events held at full capacity at Allegiant Stadium with tickets on sale Friday, June 18. Fans interested in an exclusive SummerSlam presale opportunity can register at www.summerslam.com/presale.
“Coming out of the pandemic, it was important to us to have a big event like SummerSlam in Las Vegas. We expect to deliver a great night of sports entertainment for the people of the city and a boost in foot traffic for the casinos and local businesses,” said Nick Khan, WWE President & Chief Revenue Officer and Las Vegas native.
If you’re long this stock, then you’re liking how the stock has responded to the announcement. WWE shares have been moving higher over the past week overall, pushing about 15% to the upside on above average trading volume.
World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc. (NYSE:WWE) pulled in sales of $263.5M in its last reported quarterly financials, representing top line growth of -9.4%. In addition, the company has a strong balance sheet, with cash levels far exceeding current liabilities ($461.1M against $406.8M).
Clubhouse Media Group Inc (OTCMKTS:CMGR) is an influencer-based marketing and media firm with a massive and parabolically growing global aggregate social media reach recently estimated at nearly 300 million followers through its industry-leading network of top global influencers. While it isn’t native to the live sports entertainment space, the company’s most recent news grants it access to the growth there.
The longer-term business model here is actually to partner with manufacturers and leverage its massive brand-building influencer network to create billion-dollar global consumer product brands, but its initial phase is as a top-tier marketing and advertising force in the social media space with exposure to a number of strong media and entertainment domains.
As a case in point, Clubhouse Media Group Inc (OTCMKTS:CMGR) announced this morning that it has officially signed Taynara (Tay) Conti (@tayconti_), the All Elite Wrestling (“AEW”) number one ranked professional wrestler. Conti is also a widely followed digital content creator with a large and growing global social media following. According to the release, the collaboration will officially launch with Tay moving into Clubhouse Media’s “Clubhouse BH” (@TheClubhouseBH), a 12,000 square-foot Beverly Hills mansion. Tay will join Clubhouse Media’s roster of top influencers and icons including pro racecar driver Lindsay Brewer, YouTube stars The Dobre Brothers, blogger Michelle Kennelly, dancer Gabriella Saraivah, and many more who have a collective reach now exceeding 250 million followers.
Taynara Melo de Carvalho, better known by the ring name Tay Conti, is a Brazilian professional wrestler and judoka signed to AEW. She is also known for her time in the WWE, where she wrestled on the NXT brand under the ring name Taynara Conti. Tay holds a first-degree black belt in judo and a blue belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu. She participated in trials for the Brazilian Olympic team at the 2016 Summer Olympics prior to joining WWE.
“Joining Clubhouse Media as a resident of its popular content house, @TheClubhouseBH, is a huge step in my social media career,” said Conti. “I’m looking forward to collaborating with some of the best content creators in the industry as well as the professionalism the Company brings to the process and the fun antics being a resident of the house will create.”
Clubhouse Media Group Inc (OTCMKTS:CMGR) shares have pulled back from the $20’s to apparently strong support in the $5 area. The stock has been basing and gradually rising since holding that support level last month. As the company starts to push out more catalysts and advance toward its larger objectives, this may represent an interesting opportunity.
Endeavor Group Holdings Inc (NYSE:EDR) bills itself as a global entertainment, sports and content company that serves as home to many of the world’s most dynamic and engaging storytellers, brands, live events and experiences.
The company is comprised of industry leaders including entertainment agency WME; sports, fashion, events, and media company IMG; and premier mixed martial arts organization UFC. The Endeavor network specializes in talent representation, sports operations & advisory, event & experiences management, media production & distribution, experiential marketing, and brand licensing.
Endeavor Group Holdings Inc (NYSE:EDR) most recently released its financial results for the quarterly period ended March 31, 2021, including revenue of $1.07 billion, compared to $1.19 billion in the first quarter of 2020 prior to the pandemic’s impact, operating Income of $94.5 million, compared to $53.8 million in the first quarter of 2020, and net Income of $2.4 million compared to Net Loss of $51.3 million in the first quarter of 2020.
“As we emerge from the pandemic, we are witnessing strong demand for all forms of content,” remarked Ariel Emanuel, CEO, Endeavor. “Our company was purpose-built to fulfill this demand on a global scale – be it live events and experiences or premium on-screen content. While our first quarter results were still negatively impacted by COVID-19, we are well positioned to benefit from the pent-up demand for content, while maintaining our long-term focus on secular trends and high-growth areas that have been both validated and amplified by the pandemic.”
Even in light of this news, EDR hasn’t really done much of anything over the past week, with shares logging no net movement over that period. Over the past month, shares of the stock have suffered from clear selling pressure, dropping by roughly -5%. Endeavor Group Holdings Inc (NYSE:EDR) pulled in sales of $1.1B in its last reported quarterly financials, representing top line growth of -12.6%.
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