Longtime wrestling podcast host Conrad Thompson has shared his thoughts on WWE’s current business strategy, suggesting that the company’s increasing focus on advertising and sponsorships has come at the expense of the viewing experience.
During a conversation with Ariel Helwani, Thompson discussed the commercial direction of WWE in 2026, contrasting its approach with that of AEW.
While acknowledging WWE’s financial success under TKO, Thompson argued that the company’s presentation has become increasingly geared toward investors rather than wrestling fans.
“I do think you’re onto something about the flow of the show being disrupted, with all the different ad breaks and the sponsors and things like that.
But I understand that, you know, AEW is making wrestling for fans, and I think WWE is making wrestling for investors. You know, their audience is investors. And [Mark] Shapiro just did a great talk a few weeks ago where he talked about the international shows, and I have been championing that for a long time for WWE.
A hot crowd will get me into it more, like that Penta-Roman match. How much of that did we enjoy because the match was great? And it was, but how much was the environment of the audience? They added so much drama to it that I wanted more of those international shows, please.
I remember in AJ’s farewell tour, before we knew it was that, when it was Cody and AJ, the crowd was so hyped, the camera was shaking. It added so much atmosphere. I just loved it.
Yeah, but Shapiro said, ‘Hey, we’re going to have to do a better job of balancing that,’ because—and this was a blind spot for me—there’s no sponsorship dollars over there. So you look at the mat, and the mat’s clean relative to here in America, where it’s just littered with ads.
But I’m a business guy, and I’ve been told for years that my shows have too many ads. So I get that we have to monetize it. I understand it as a business guy.
I look at what TKO is doing and WWE is doing and think it’s unbelievable and hugely successful and phenomenal. But as a longtime WWE and UFC fan, I’m less interested in those products now than I have been in the past.”
Thompson highlighted the atmosphere generated by international audiences as one of WWE’s greatest strengths, pointing to the crowd reactions during Roman Reigns’ match with Penta and a previous encounter between Cody Rhodes and AJ Styles.
However, he also acknowledged the financial challenges associated with international events, particularly the difference in sponsorship revenue compared to shows held in the United States.
Despite praising WWE and TKO for their commercial achievements, Thompson admitted that his personal interest in both WWE and UFC has declined as their business models have evolved.
His comments reflect the distinction he sees between building a financially successful wrestling product and delivering the type of presentation that appeals to him as a longtime fan.
