While progress had been made the previous two years, fan demand and the opportunity to accelerate the Women’s Evolution was prevalent and seen as a priority for WWE in 2017-18. WWE decided to create and enact a series of “firsts” in 2017 and 2018 that would fortify the brand pivot and continue to deliver on Vince McMahon’s “keep watching” response. Among these firsts included launching all women Superstar storylines and matches with women talent from all three global WWE brands – Raw, SmackDown and NXT – in marquee events “Royal Rumble,” “WrestleMania,” “Money In The Bank” and “Elimination Chamber” which previously only featured male Superstar matches. In addition, WWE diversified female talent development in emerging global markets including signing the first-ever WWE female talent from India and the Middle East and recruiting the most-recognized female athlete in the world: Ronda Rousey.

WWE created and programmed events that included female Superstars in the same headline matches the men had dominated for years, including “Hell in a Cell,” “Money in the Bank” and “Royal Rumble.” In between these marquee events, WWE creative and talent development teams worked to deploy a consistent stream of content, which includes a 386 percent increase in women Superstar social media followership in the last three years.

The “year of firsts” reached a new peak in April 2018 at WrestleMania 34 in New Orleans. Millions of fans around the world watched and cheered alongside the Superstars backstage as one of the most inspiring and popular athletes in the world, former UFC Bantamweight Champion Ronda Rousey, made her in-ring debut as a full time WWE Superstar in a main event featuring Stephanie McMahon and essentially stole the show at WWE’s annual pop culture extravaganza.

Today, WWE has nearly doubled the number of women on its Superstars roster (going from 28 to 50 in three years), hired 3 female coaches, its first female referee and increased its female fan base to 40 percent. Female viewership of WWE’s weekly “SmackDown” program increased by 13 percent in Q1 2018 versus 1Q 2015 – prior to Women’s Evolution. Female viewership for Smackdown in FY 2017 was up by nearly 14 percent in comparison to FY 2015. SmackDown viewership overall was up by 8 percent between Q1 2015 and Q1 2018.

Female Superstars have become significantly more popular around the world, indicated by five of them ranking in the Top 10 most followed female athletes on Facebook and Instagram over the last year. This also led to a partnership with Mattel for a line of female fashion dolls in 2017.

And the message remains consistent: “Keep watching.”