As WWE prepares for its upcoming annual premium live event, the company is leveraging its social media presence to connect with fans, with a significant focus on YouTube. Recently, WWE achieved a major milestone by surpassing 100 million subscribers on the platform.
YouTube, boasting approximately 2.49 billion active users, stands as the second most popular social media platform globally, following Facebook. DataReportal reveals that 47% of internet users worldwide access YouTube on a monthly basis.
WWE, a sports entertainment entity under TKO Group, ranks among the top 10 most subscribed YouTube channels globally, a list that notably lacks professional sports leagues. Other notable channels in this category include T-Series, Sony Entertainment Television, and popular personalities like MrBeast and PewDiePie.
Joining YouTube three years post its launch, WWE reports over 81 billion lifetime views on the platform. The company's success on YouTube is attributed to its meticulous content curation strategy, ensuring a consistent stream of content. This includes highlights from its TV shows like Raw, Smackdown, and NXT, promptly uploaded post-broadcast. Additionally, archives of pay-per-view events, original content such as post-event press conferences, wrestler retrospectives, and vlogs contribute to WWE's diverse content offerings.
Recognizing its audience's interest beyond wrestling, WWE has introduced programs hosted by wrestlers focusing on gaming and fitness, like Up Up Down Down and Celtic Warrior Workouts. The company also caters to its Latin American fanbase through WWE Espanol, a Spanish language content channel.
WWE's YouTube content resonates with a key demographic, with 35% of lifetime views from subscribers falling within the 18 to 24 age group. The audience actively engages with content related to TV programs and renowned personalities like Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson as soon as it's uploaded.
The Rock's recent involvement with WWE, including appearances on Smackdown leading to WrestleMania XL, has significantly contributed to WWE's YouTube success. A recent segment featuring The Rock challenging Cody Rhodes and Seth Rollins to a tag team match at WrestleMania XL has garnered over 2 million views on YouTube.
Following The Rock's return to WWE television, the company accelerated its path to 100 million YouTube subscribers. WWE notes that a press conference featuring The Rock promoting WrestleMania XL in Las Vegas led to over 100,000 new YouTube subscribers in a single day, hastening their journey to the 100 million mark.
Prior to The Rock's comeback in September, WWE was on track to hit the 100 million YouTube subscriber milestone by late April, as per the company's projections.
