For nearly four decades, the WWE has made a habit of smashing records with their annual event, WrestleMania. The company’s 2022 show, which took place last weekend in Dallas, Texas at AT&T Stadium was no exception. The action packed, highly entertaining two-night spectacular drew a total of 156,352 fans from all 50 states and 53 countries.
But as impressive as the WWE’s record breaking attendance and revenue numbers were, there was another story worth sharing. Vince McMahon’s company beat the NFL’s Super Bowl on social media in four key categories: impressions, engagements, video views, and video watch time according to Conviva. WWE set social media records by producing the highest total of Video Views, Hours and Impressions for any event in company history.
Here are the numbers that stood out:
Impressions: WWE: 2.2 Billion Impressions vs. Super Bowl: 1.8 Billion Impressions
Video Views: WWE: 1.1 Billion Video Views vs. Super Bowl: 618 Million Video Views
Video Watch Time: WWE: 13.1 Million Hours compared vs. Super Bowl 3.56 Million Hours
Engagements: WWE: 87 Million Engagements vs. Super Bowl: 78 Million Engagements
WWE generated a record 1.1 Billion views across Facebook, Instagram, Snap, TikTok, Twitter, which resulted in a massive 47% increase from WrestleMania 37. The company also recorded 785 Million Minutes/13 Million Hours of video consumed on social, up 29% from last year, and a record 2.2 Billion Impressions, which was 10% better than their 2021 show.
Other notable figures which stood out included the two highest engagement posts in event history. Cody Rhodes’ return to the WWE, and Pat McAfee’s match with Austin Theory, which led to follow up in-ring action with Mr. McMahon and Stone Cold Steve Austin were huge social media hits. Cody’s return produced a whopping 500,000 engagements. The McAfee-Theory match delivered more than 450,000 engagements.
Some will point out that WWE’s event is a two-night affair whereas the Super Bowl takes place on one night. The length of the show is also a factor with the WWE holding a 3 to 1 advantage in terms of air time. Regardless, WWE’s social media impact can’t be denied. Those are insane numbers for engagement and viewing, and to keep fans interested for two-nights from start to finish is no easy task. Judging by the numbers, Vince McMahon’s company hit a homerun.
Jason Barrett is the owner and operator of Barrett Sports Media. Prior to launching BSM he served as a sports radio programmer, launching brands such as 95.7 The Game in San Francisco and 101 ESPN in St. Louis. He has also produced national shows for ESPN Radio including GameNight and the Dan Patrick Show. You can find him on Twitter @SportsRadioPD or reach him by email at JBarrett@sportsradiopd.com.
The two new and most visible faces of the new media influx have teamed up for a live show that will take place in New York City. Draymond Green and JJ Redick are bringing their respective podcasts to the stage for a live experience.
On Monday (June 27), Draymond Green’s The Draymond Green Show and JJ Redick’s The Old Man and the Three will seek to entertain an already sold out audience at The City Winery in New York City.
The show will collaborate for the first time and it will mark an interesting time in the thrusting of new media onto the public consciousness. JJ Redick has earned universal praise for how he has handled his career post-retirement from the NBA, including appear often opposite Stephen A. Smith on ESPN’s First Take as well as the network’s myriad of other programming.
Draymond Green has been very public with his podcast that has very publicly recorded episodes minutes after Warriors games. He has recently invoked his mantra that he isn’t a part of the media (despite signing a contract with Turner Sports and Colin Cowherd’s The Volume). Instead he insists he is a part of the aforementioned new media.
Scott Van Pelt Not Hurt By Draymond Green’s “New Media” Comment
“He’s the one that said it. Isn’t he the one who said he’s new media? I was just trying to give him credit in saying, ‘Look, you now have control of your narrative and you can go do your podcast now.’”
We have heard an awful lot in the fast month about “new media” with a large section of that discussion coming in regards to athletes in or formerly in the NBA. One such interaction was between a member of that new media and Scott Van Pelt.
After Game 5 of the NBA Finals, a victorious Draymond Green was interviewed on SportsCenter with Scott Van Pelt. In the interview, Van Pelt asked Green about dealing with the outside “noise” around the Finals. After Green gave a to-be-expected type answer, Van Pelt followed-up with the initial comment that start a wave.
Van Pelt: You’re part of the media now and you get to control the conversation from your perspective and I know you’ll-
Green: New media.
He then corrected Van Pelt’s assertion that Green had stated Stephen A. Smith was new media by saying:
Green: And by the way go watch The Draymond Green Show. I said Stephen A. sometimes acts like the new media. Sometimes he doesn’t. That’s on you, but nonetheless, don’t just lump me in with media, baby. It’s the new media.
Scott Van Pelt appeared on the SI Media Podcast and was asked about this exchange.
“I didn’t get that,” Van Pelt said of Green’s resistance in being associated with the word “media.”
“He’s the one that said it. Isn’t he the one who said he’s new media? I was just trying to give him credit in saying, ‘Look, you now have control of your narrative and you can go do your podcast now.’”
Van Pelt went on about Green’s categorizing of Smith and other media as a separate column of media.
“I guess what Draymond actually said was sometimes he’s new media. I don’t give a shit who’s what…I think now as it relates to media, there’s no new and old because people that are in the old media are doing the new media and people that are in new media are cutting through in ways that people in old media didn’t think they ever would many years ago. I guess all I’m saying is whatever Stephen A. is, he exists in both lanes and Draymond, clearly his content cuts through on his podcast or with me.
I wasn’t hurt by it. I didn’t take it like he was mad at me. I was just correcting the semantics. It didn’t trouble me. Whatever. However Draymond frames what Stephen A. Smith is or what any of us are, it doesn’t feel important. I think it’s important he has that place where he wants to do his thing. And I think people are interested in hearing from the guy that was just out there not long after saying what he has to say.”
Barstool’s Big Cat has been trying to book NBA star Kevin Durant on Pardon My Take for five years, but the former MVP just won’t say yes.
On a recent edition of the podcast, Big Cat talked about how the Brooklyn Nets star has continued to snub requests to come on the show.
“We want Kevin Durant on this show, and he has just alpha-ed me so hard at this point,” Big Cat said. “I need people to start replying to his tweets saying just go on Pardon My Take.”
It’s not like KD has given Big Cat the cold shoulder. Big Cat said Durant has responded to his DMs on Twitter before, even wishing him Happy Thanksgiving one year. But so far all attempts to get Durant on PMT have been futile.
“Maybe if we start getting some rings, then he’ll be like, ‘Yeah they’re an elite team, and I want to join up with them. And maybe I can help them win something,'” PFT Commenter said, referencing the fact that PMT is yet to be recognized with any podcasting awards.
Durant did more or less tell the podcast on Twitter he wasn’t interested on Wednesday.
Jordan Bondurant is a features reporter for Barrett News Media. He also works for ABC8 News and Newsradio WRVA and 910 The Fan in Richmond, Virginia. His prior experiences include working for the Richmond Times-Dispatch, the Danville Register & Bee, Virginia Lawyers Weekly and iHeartradio Richmond. He can be reached by email at Jordan.E.Bondurant@gmail.com or follow him on Twitter @J__Bondurant.
