Wrestlenomics

John Pollock and Brandon Thurston cover WWE’s announcement with Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment, TKO’s Q3 earnings report, and how TNA Bound for Glory performed.

Topics this week include:

• WWE and MLSE announce long-term partnership
• TKO’s Q3 Earnings Results 
• Mark Shapiro comments on Fox’s performance with UFC
• TNA Bound for Glory’s gate and tickets sold 
• Janel Grant accuses Dr. Carlon Colke...

John Pollock and Brandon Thurston share their Observer Hall of Fame ballots and debate who should be inducted this year.

Plus: TKO prepares for its third-quarter earnings, analysis of AEW’s past quarter, Wrestle Kingdom 20 ticket update & a betting scandal rocks the UFC. 

Topics this week include:

• TKO to report Q3 earnings
• AEW’s past quarter performance 
• Market-to-market compa...

John Pollock and Brandon Thurston discuss WWE’s enforcement of no-compete clauses involving Andrade and Samantha Irvin, and whether these clauses could withstand legal scrutiny.

Combat sports regulatory lawyer Erik Magraken joins them to break down the legality of these contracts and the push by TKO to pass the Muhammad Ali American Boxing Revival Act. 

Topics this week includ...

John Pollock and Brandon Thurston look at last week’s “Super Tuesday” results, how TNA fared at Bound for Glory, and how best to assess a company’s success in this new era. 

Topics this week include:

• The changing metrics to assess pro wrestling companies
• TNA reports 7,794 attendance for Bound for Glory
• Advance for AEW WrestleDream in St. Louis 
• Location for WWE Elimination Chamber
• Ridge Holland released while injured
• WWE cuts & ID...

John Pollock and Brandon Thurston discuss the public funding and attendance figures from AEW All In Texas and react to SmackDown’s all-time low viewership.

Thurston discusses his reporting on AEW All In Texas and the records he has received from the Government concerning the July 11 event at Globe Life Field.

SmackDown falls to an all-time viewership figure under the new Big Data + Panel ...

John Pollock and Brandon Thurston chat with Douglas Pucci of Programming Insider about Nielsen’s new method of tracking viewership and the negative impact it has shown for professional wrestling programs.

Pucci explains how the new method differs from the previous model, its impact on other genres of programming, and why pro wrestling has seen significant decreases.

Then, Pollock & Thursto...

John Pollock and Brandon Thurston cover AEW Dynamite’s sixth anniversary, Zuffa Boxing’s deal with Paramount, and Dana White appears on 60 Minutes.

Plus, Josh Nason from the Wrestling Observer returns to the show. 

Topics this week include:

• AEW Dynamite’s sixth anniversary tonight 
• WWE partners with DC Events for John Cena’s retirement match
• Zuffa Boxing signs deal wit...

John Pollock and Brandon Thurston break down the head-to-head showdown between WWE and AEW, with both companies running their biggest shows of the month.

Topics this week include:

• WWE’s debut on the ESPN app with Wrestlepalooza and fan reception
• AEW All Out streaming on HBO Max
• Tony Khan on streaming numbers and running afternoon events
• Key streaming & TV viewership data from t...

John Pollock and Brandon Thurston cover a massive week of news in wrestling, MMA, and sports media. The main story is WWE announcing that WrestleMania will be held in Saudi Arabia, with U.K. journalist Robert Jackman joining the show to break down the logistics and impact of the move.

We also dive into:

• Independent promoters reacting to WWE’s Saudi Arabia strategy
• ESPN’s media call ahead of Wrestlepalooza
• Mark Shapiro’s comments at...

John Pollock and Brandon Thurston break down AJ Lee’s return to WWE and SmackDown surging to the #1 show on Friday, Bryan Danielson speaking on WWE’s counterprogramming strategy, and Bubba the Love Sponge’s response to the Nick Bollea lawsuit.

Also covered on the show:

• John Cena’s upcoming retirement match in Washington, D.C.
• Paul Levesque addresses WWE’s contributions to Saudi Arabia
• Bubba th...

John Pollock and Brandon Thurston break down WWE Clash in Paris, including the record-setting gate at La Défense Arena, WWE’s international business growth, and the company’s decision to run the venue on back-to-back nights.

Plus, we cover the biggest stories across wrestling this week:

• AEW moves All Out to afternoon, PPVs available on HBO Max
• ROH Death Before Dishonor suffers t...

Neal Flanagan, filling in for John Pollock, and Brandon Thurston discuss AEW’s Forbidden Door event and press conference, WWE PLE starting on ESPN DTC streaming earlier than originally announced, plus recent legal developments.

Also:

• WWE’s PLEs moving to ESPN DTC and reworked NBCU deal
• Notes from the Forbidden Door post-show press conference
• Dr. Carlon Colker briefly discloses Janel Grant’s medical records before filings were seale...

John Pollock and Brandon Thurston discuss WWE’s increasingly aggressive strategies to compete with AEW, and whether these practices raise antitrust concerns. They break down what this means for AEW’s future and how the company can realistically respond.

Also on the show:

• WWE’s September PLE possibly airing on ESPN
• TNA is open to a move to directly oppose AEW
• Triplemanía XXXIII from Mexico City
• ...

John Pollock and Brandon Thurston break down the UFC’s historic $7.7 billion deal with Paramount, which will end the company’s pay-per-view business. We discuss what this means for UFC fans, the promotion’s future, and the broader combat sports industry.

We also cover WWE running a Premium Live Event in Indianapolis set to go head-to-head with AEW All Out in September, plus:

• Judge grants Janel Grant access to medical records
• TKO c...

John Pollock and Brandon Thurston present a bonus show as they welcome Alex Sherman of CNBC to break down the WWE deal with ESPN.

On the show:

• The value of the deal for ESPN for its direct-to-consumer service
• Carriers that are offering the service to cable subscribers, and others that are not 
• WWE splitting its rights across platforms and impact on the fan
• The status of the UFC rights negotiations 
• The prospects of ESPN’s streaming s...

John Pollock and Brandon Thurston react to the news that ESPN has secured WWE’s premium live event package in the U.S. beginning in 2026.

John & Brandon go over the details, what this means for the consumer, and specific factors to pay attention to.

They also cover WWE’s controversial decision to bring back Brock Lesnar after the former champion was named in the lawsuit filed by Janel Grant.

We will break down the allegations aga...

John Pollock and Brandon Thurston are joined by David Bixenspan (Between the Sheets) to discuss the life, death, and complex legacy of Terry Bollea a.k.a. Hulk Hogan. We cover the reaction to Hogan’s passing, his controversial lawsuit against Gawker, and how the media has handled the coverage of his death.

VIDEO VERSION: https://youtube.com/live/04MQQD19PfU

Also o...

John Pollock and Brandon Thurston analyze WWE’s Netflix performance after six months, based on the latest Netflix engagement report.

Special guest Lavie Margolin joins the show to break down TNA Slammiversary at UBS Arena, attendance insights, its U.S. TV distribution, and his upcoming book project.

We also cover:

• San Diego’s budget plans for WWE Survivor Series 2025
• Real American Freestyle coming to Fox Nation
• AEW All Out date at W...

John Pollock and Brandon Thurston wrap up AEW’s All In Texas weekend, which aired against WWE’s Great American Bash & Saturday Night’s Main Event.

Who were the winners and the losers of the weekend? How successful was All In Texas? How did WWE fare with its strategy of presenting three cards in Atlanta?

Plus, viewership for Katie Taylor vs. Amanda Serrano on Netflix, legal...