It's been a tough year for WWE. 

The coronavirus pandemic derailed plans from WrestleMania through to SummerSlam and Vince McMahon has been forced to call audibles to survive. 

No one would have blamed him for shutting down at the peak of the pandemic, but that's not his style. 

Instead, WWE moved to empty-arena shows and continued as normal - pumping out their product three times a week.

But with no ticket sales and no live tours, the company have had to rely mostly on television money to drive revenue and at the start of the pandemic, there were clearly worries about that. 

Cuts were made across the roster with upwards of 20 wrestlers and backstage staff losing their jobs on a single day. 

The decision to cut so much talent sent fans into a frenzy, but it seems McMahon really does know what's best for business.

WWE has made record revenue in 2020 to date

According to WWE's latest financial report, revenues reached a record $514.4 million this year-to-date.

Considering the impact of COVID-19, it's quite extraordinary that the company are making record numbers. 

It's important to note though, that in the second quarter of 2020 (not the entire year to date) revenue has slipped from $268.9 million to $223.4 million. 

Many WWE shows have been behind closed doors

But to record a total of 14% growth in 2020 (compared to the same time-scale from 2019) is very impressive, especially in this climate.

Who has ever said Vince McMahon wasn't a brilliant, ruthless businessman? 

The press release also quotes the boss as being happy with how WWE responded to the challenges posed by the coronavirus. 

"Our second-quarter financial performance was strong and demonstrated our ability to respond to the challenges posed by COVID-19," the Chairman & CEO said.

WWE have posted impressive numbers this year

"We continue to adapt our business to the changing environment, focusing on the development of new content for global distribution platforms and increasing audience engagement to drive growth and value for our shareholders." 

While many fans have been upset with certain decisions WWE made during the pandemic, seeing them record revenue without ticket sales and live events is certainly impressive.