The number of subscribers to the WWE Network continues to climb. In the latest figures released on Thursday by World Wrestling Entertainment as part of its second quarter financial report, the total number of paid subscriptions to WWE's on-demand network now stands at 1.511 million.
The network had 1.357 million paid subscribers at the end of the first quarter of 2016, a number that jumped to 1.454 million on April 4 -- the day after WrestleMania 32, which was offered free as an enticement to new subscribers.
Thursday's number eclipsed them both, and international expansion can be credited with the boost. The second quarter numbers show approximately 381,000 international subscribers, which represents approximately 25 percent of all paid subscriptions. That is nearly double the 196,000 international subscriptions at this time a year ago. The WWE has launched in six new countries in the past year, including Germany, Malaysia and Japan.
Domestic subscriptions, however, remained flat as compared to the second quarter of 2016 -- holding steady at 1.13 million, although that marked an improvement over the domestic numbers both at the first quarter of 2016 and after WrestleMania.
Time will tell if changes in the on-air product, most notably the revival of the brand split, might spark an uptick in domestic interest.
The report also cited that revenue from the network, defined as money generated both from the WWE Network itself and pay-per-views, increased 29 percent to $51.8 million.
The WWE Network debuted in February of 2014.
By John Moorehouse
