Linda McMahon Talks about WWE Business

The New York Times recently conducted an interview with WWE's Linda McMahon discussing a variety of topics. Here are some highlights from the interview:

How the company has coped with the loss of Chris Benoit:
"That was a terrible tragedy for any company or any family. Plus, [Chris Benoit] had been with us for over eight years, beloved by the people he worked with. Our company, obviously, was stunned. For the first time, we canceled our live event scheduled for that night. But I think, in general, we have come through it."

On the WWE's second quarter revenue jump:
"The increase was driven across all of our core businesses, but WrestleMania was a big contributor. It was our largest-grossing event — more than 80,000 people at Ford Field. It was quite a spectacle. We had attendees from every state in the United States, as well as from 24 countries. It performed above our expectations."

Her reaction to "The Condemned" being a flop:
"We are still surprised at the returns on “The Condemned.” We had produced two movies before that that did O.K. at the box office. Our emphasis is now going to be on DVDs."

If WWE events are geared towards the family:
"We don’t market them as family fare, but if you were to go to one, you’d clearly see a lot of families. We really have a cross section — I used to say Americana — but it’s really almost the same demographic breakdown if you travel the world. There are parents. There are children. There is a large group of teenagers and young adults. It’s a mix. It’s cross-generational."

If UFC is hurting WWE's PPV business:
"Any competition in the marketplace for the entertainment dollar is competition for us. However, WWE clearly has longevity in the marketplace. It’s a part of our American culture."