Among one of the bigger talking points regarding the relationship between WWE and its talent is the discrepancy in how much money the talent earns compared to what the promotion makes. But even though it's a reoccurring talking point, rarely has information coming out regarding just how much money WWE talent takes in, and what percentage it takes up in WWE's overall earnings. Now, however, a glimpse has been given into the difference from four years ago.POST Wrestling reports that a recent filing from the ongoing WWE shareholder lawsuit reveals WWE was projected to have spent 15% of their company revenue on talent back in 2022. While this is in line with revenue splits between the UFC and its fighters and the WNBA and its players, it's a stark contrast to major pro sports leagues such as the NFL, NBA, MLB, and NHL, where the players receive around 50% of the revenue in accordance to the collective bargaining agreements between the league and players.The filing further revealed that it spent an average of $195 million on main roster and developmental talent during the year, a number that seems large until it's compared to the promotion's 2022 revenue totals, which saw WWE gross $1.29 billion. It was also shown that WWE spent an "implied average of $1.5 million per main roster talent in 2022, though it's believed that number was inflated by the salaries of the main event talent. The number was an increase from 2020, when the implied average for WWE salary was around $890K.
