Spotify Becomes Exclusive Home for WWE
Podcasts
Partnership Kicks Off this Week at SummerSlam
with Live Recordings from MGM Grand in Las Vegas
The Ringer, a Spotify Studio (NYSE: SPOT), and WWE (NYSE: WWE)
will launch an exclusive audio network as part of a multi-year
audio content partnership, the companies announced today. As part
of the deal, The Ringer and WWE will also collaborate to develop
new, original audio content exclusively for the Spotify platform
and Ringer website. In addition, existing WWE audio programming,
which offers a unique look at the world of WWE both in the ring and
beyond, will become available exclusively on Spotify.
The Ringer will be expanding its existing wrestling coverage.
The current feed for The Masked Man Show hosted by David Shoemaker
and Kaz, will rebrand to The Ringer Wrestling Show and will
continue on that feed, alongside new programming from WWE
personalities. Together, The Ringer and WWE will collaborate on new
original podcast series, including a series from WWE personality
Evan Mack, MackMania, and a narrative series produced by Bill
Simmons. Utilizing Spotify Greenroom, hosts will be going live
after every major WWE pay-per-view event with the final rooms
becoming podcasts for The Ringer Wrestling Show.
To kick off the partnership, The Ringer will be on-site in Las
Vegas leading into WWE’s biggest event of 2021, SummerSlam, taking
place this Saturday, August 21. This includes new episodes of The
Ringer Wrestling Show with David Shoemaker, Evan Mack making his
Ringer debut, and Spotify Greenroom live conversations. On site,
there will be a co-branded footprint in the MGM Grand where fans
will have the chance to get free Ringer/WWE SummerSlam merch and a
photo opportunity.
“The Ringer is the premier destination for sports fandom, and
WWE has used amazing storytelling and iconic characters to
establish a global audience of loyal and passionate fans, making
this partnership a perfect match,” said Bill Simmons, Founder of
The Ringer. “As a lifelong WWE fan, I couldn’t be more excited to
work with them to take a fresh perspective on their most iconic
moments and superstars, and leverage Spotify’s global scale to
share content that we believe everyone will enjoy.”
“Bill and his team at The Ringer consistently find ways to
create premium content that drives conversation and appeals to fans
of sports, entertainment and pop culture,” said Nick Khan, WWE
President & Chief Revenue Officer. “We believe this
collaboration will deliver a podcast slate that excites existing
fans while also introducing WWE content to the millions of Spotify
listeners.”
In 2020, Spotify acquired The Ringer, a leading creator of
sports, entertainment and pop culture content founded by Bill
Simmons in 2016. With The Ringer-WWE partnership, Spotify continues
to deliver against its goal to become the world’s leading audio
platform. Today, Spotify is the world’s most popular audio
streaming subscription service with a community of more than 365
million Monthly Active Users and 165 million Premium Subscribers.
With a presence in 178 markets, and 2.9 million podcast titles, it
has transformed the way people access and enjoy music and
podcasts.
WWE has a substantial social reach with more than 1 billion
social media followers across all platforms. After returning to
live event touring in July, SummerSlam will take place from
Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas this Saturday, August 21, marking
the first time the annual event has been held at an NFL stadium.
The event will stream live at 8 pm ET/5 pm PT exclusively on
Peacock in the United States and on WWE Network everywhere
else.
About Spotify
Spotify transformed music listening forever when we launched in
2008. Our mission is to unlock the potential of human creativity by
giving a million creative artists the opportunity to live off their
art and billions of fans the opportunity to enjoy and be inspired
by these creators. Everything we do is driven by our love for music
and podcasts.
Discover, manage, and share over 70 million tracks, including
more than 2.9 million podcast titles, for free, or upgrade to
Spotify Premium to access exclusive features for music including
improved sound quality and an on-demand, offline, and ad-free
listening experience.
Today, we are the world’s most popular audio streaming
subscription service with a community of more than 365 million
users, including 165 million Spotify Premium subscribers, across
178 markets.
We use our Investors and For the Record websites as well as
other social media listed in the “Resources – Social Media” tab of
our Investors website to disclose material company information. For
more information, images, or to contact the press team, head over
to https://newsroom.spotify.com/.
About WWE
WWE, a publicly traded company (NYSE: WWE), is an integrated
media organization and recognized leader in global entertainment.
The Company consists of a portfolio of businesses that create and
deliver original content 52 weeks a year to a global audience. WWE
is committed to family-friendly entertainment on its television
programming, pay-per-view, digital media and publishing platforms.
WWE’s TV-PG programming can be seen in more than 900 million homes
worldwide in 28 languages through world-class distribution partners
including NBCUniversal, FOX Sports, BT Sport, Sony India and
Rogers. The award-winning WWE Network includes all live
pay-per-views, scheduled programming and a massive video-on-demand
library and is currently available in more than 180 countries. In
the United States, NBCUniversal’s streaming service, Peacock, is
the exclusive home to WWE Network. The Company is headquartered in
Stamford, Conn., with offices in New York, Los Angeles, Orlando,
Dubai, London, Mexico City, Mumbai, Munich, Riyadh, Shanghai,
Singapore and Tokyo.
Additional information on WWE (NYSE: WWE) can be found at
wwe.com and corporate.wwe.com.
Trademarks: All WWE programming,
talent names, images, likenesses, slogans, wrestling moves,
trademarks, logos and copyrights are the exclusive property of WWE
and its subsidiaries. All other trademarks, logos and copyrights
are the property of their respective owners.
Forward-Looking Statements: This
press release contains forward-looking statements pursuant to the
safe harbor provisions of the Securities Litigation Reform Act of
1995, which are subject to various risks and uncertainties. These
risks and uncertainties include, without limitation, risks relating
to: the impact of the COVID-19 outbreak on our business, results of
operations and financial condition; entering, maintaining and
renewing major distribution agreements; a rapidly evolving media
landscape; WWE Network (including the risk that we are unable to
attract, retain and renew subscribers); our need to continue to
develop creative and entertaining programs and events; the
possibility of a decline in the popularity of our brand of sports
entertainment; the continued importance of key performers and the
services of Vincent K. McMahon; possible adverse changes in the
regulatory atmosphere and related private sector initiatives; the
highly competitive, rapidly changing and increasingly fragmented
nature of the markets in which we operate and greater financial
resources or marketplace presence of many of our competitors;
uncertainties associated with international markets including
possible disruptions and reputational risks; our difficulty or
inability to promote and conduct our live events and/or other
businesses if we do not comply with applicable regulations; our
dependence on our intellectual property rights, our need to protect
those rights, and the risks of our infringement of others’
intellectual property rights; the complexity of our rights
agreements across distribution mechanisms and geographical areas;
potential substantial liability in the event of accidents or
injuries occurring during our physically demanding events including
without limitation, claims alleging traumatic brain injury; large
public events as well as travel to and from such events; our
feature film business; our expansion into new or complementary
businesses and/or strategic investments; our computer systems and
online operations; privacy norms and regulations; a possible
decline in general economic conditions and disruption in financial
markets; our accounts receivable; our indebtedness including our
convertible notes; litigation; our potential failure to meet market
expectations for our financial performance, which could adversely
affect our stock; Vincent K. McMahon exercises control over our
affairs, and his interests may conflict with the holders of our
Class A common stock; a substantial number of shares are eligible
for sale by the McMahons and the sale, or the perception of
possible sales, of those shares could lower our stock price; and
the volatility of our Class A common stock. In addition, our
dividend is dependent on a number of factors, including, among
other things, our liquidity and historical and projected cash flow,
strategic plan (including alternative uses of capital), our
financial results and condition, contractual and legal restrictions
on the payment of dividends (including under our revolving credit
facility), general economic and competitive conditions and such
other factors as our Board of Directors may consider relevant.
Forward-looking statements made by the Company speak only as of the
date made and are subject to change without any obligation on the
part of the Company to update or revise them. Undue reliance should
not be placed on these statements. For more information about risks
and uncertainties associated with the Company’s business, please
refer to the “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial
Condition and Results of Operations” and “Risk Factors” sections of
the Company’s SEC filings, including, but not limited to, our
annual report on Form 10-K and quarterly reports on Form 10-Q.
View source
version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210818005443/en/
Media Contact:
Spotify Amanda Long 917.952.5406 along@spotify.com
WWE Chuck Kingsbury 203-352-8701
Chuck.Kingsbury@wwecorp.com
Investor Contact: Michael
Weitz 203-352-8642 Michael.Weitz@wwecorp.com
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