Triple H Conference Call Recap - The Future Of NXT, Plans, More

Credit: Dave Scherer and Pwinsider.com:

Triple H did a conference call with selected members of the wrestling media today to talk about tomorrow's NXT Takeover special, which airs on the WWE Network.

WWE's Adam Hopkins opened the call by welcoming the media and turned the call over to Triple H.

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He noted that he once again he saved us from the background music that plays before calls (it is brutal). He is excited where they are with NXT and presenting Takeover tomorrow on The WWE Network. He said he is excited for the young guys to show the world what they can do and hopefully show the media that the future of WWE is in good shape.

HHH then turned it over to the reporters for questions. I am recapping so Mike will ask the questions, and he got on first.

Mike asked with the success of Arrival, will be see more of the live specials. Will they be a regular thing on the Network. H said that he doesn't know if they will be monthly, but never say never with WWE. He said he is happy where they are and Arrival was a great success. He noted that Vince McMahon even noted that they have launched a brand in NXT. With that said, he doesn't want to lose track of what NXT is, and that is getting talent ready. He said that quarterly is probably how it will work out. H talked about how they aren't just training wrestlers there, but also people who put the shows on, cameramen, announcers, etc. People learn what live TV is like by doing these specials. You live or die on your own. It is a new challenge for them and when they get to Raw, it will help prepare them for doing live TV. He does believe that there is room for an opportunity for a whole new brand in NXT. He could see people looking at the NXT talent and have people wonder what will happen when they make the big roster.

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Mike asked H a question I had, if HHH happy with the transition of the NXT talents that have come up to the main roster? Is it hard to transition them from NXT to the WWE? H said that yes, it's a difficult transition. Just because something works in Orlando, doesn't mean it will translate before a big WWE crowd. He said you can't forget that there is a transition from NXT to WWE as well. He mentioned Cesaro and how a year or so, he was working at NXT while he was on the main roster. H said when he saw Cesaro work in NXT, he would tell him to do the same thing when he is on Raw and Smackdown and Cesaro knew he was working differently on the big roster. There are many factors that go into a talent transitioning. Overall, he is very happy with NXT and how they are taking over, and that is why he used the name Takeover. He said they won't all be home runs, but it's ridiculous to think that. He is very happy with NXT and the workers.

Brian Fritz asked if they have thought about doing their NXT tapings more often. H said that they have tossed it around. The more you shoot, the more the costs go up, same with going live. He said he would love to do it live every week, but there are other factors. It's all on the table. He also mentioned what a great partner Full Sail is and they have to be conscious of their schedules as well. They are always thinking about what they can do.

Fritz asked about the next step, after Full Sail and the Performance Center. H said that the next step is finding the right talents to bring in to train and become wrestlers. He is really focused on working with the Creative department to go world wide to find new talents. They have had camps in Europe, Brazil and the Middle East recently. They want to recruit and be on a global level.

The next caller asked if guys who had worked outside of the US have had adjustment problems. H said the difference isn't that much about the big crowds as much as the mental outlook of now working for WWE. When you come there, you step into a whole different world, where the company does thing do things their way. It's the big time and it's intimidating. He said even back in the Monday Night War, there was that adjustment when a guy would come over from WCW. It's a curve. He said he looks at Bray Wyatt and he is just becoming comfortable, even though he has been knocking it out of the park since he came to WWE. It takes...

WWE Conference Call Notes: Punk, TV Rights Deal...

Credit: Larry Csonka

The call started at 11:04 AM ET.

Vince McMahon and WWE financial executive George Barrios will take part in the call.

Vince McMahon started off the call, and says things were about where they expected them to be. The weekly TV audience has grown 19% and their social media presence has grown over 80%.

They signed new TV deals internationally in the UK and Thailand, which were better than the old deals. They are the #1 and #3 markets for WWE, outside of the US.

They are happy with the Total Divas show, are moving into new toys (The Stackdown set) and will work with the Flintstones and Scooby-Doo for new film projects.

They expect to complete the US TV negotiations by late April.

They will continue to work on new International TV deals as they expire to get a higher TV rights fee.

Vince says they are extremely excited for the launch of the Network on Monday.

The majority of cable and satellite distributors have agreed to air WrestleMania, and from there, will decide on PPV carriage on a month by month basis. They then added it is about 85% coverage of the US.

They broke down the key financials, which are broken down section by section in the 411 news section.

Total Divas increasing viewership by over 150% from the programming it replaced on the E! Network.

WWE expects losses early in 2014 because of costs to launch the WWE Network and other investments. They expect a 2014 first quarter loss of $12 to $15 million.

When asked about CM Punk, Vince stated that he is taking a sabbatical.

They were repeatedly asked for details on the new TV deals and negotiations with NBCU and other networks, but they refused to give direct answers.

The company plans to launch the Network in the UK, Canada, Australia, and Nordic countries by the end of the year or early 2015.

The goal for the WWE network is 1 million subscribers by the end of 2014.

Vince stated that WrestleMania is a huge event, and that they are excited for the event, which he thinks will be a part of a big year for the company.

When asked why they continue to stay in the movie business, Vince stated that they understood characters and story lines and already had a set of stars to use. He also said that they are on their third model with WWE Studios, and that they are doing well with it. Barrios said they were seeing a better return under their new model and would continue to evaluate with each film.

The call ended at 11:37 AM ET.