  $e^+e^-\to W^+W^-$ is an integral part of the global precision analysis
program which is becoming more relevant after the discovery of the Higgs boson.
We analyze the current situation of precision calculations of inclusive
$e^+e^-\to W^+W^-$ observables, and study the prospects of incorporating them
into the framework of global precision electroweak analyses in light of
per-mil-level cross section measurements at proposed future facilities. We
present expansion formulas for the observables, making the dependence on the
inputs clear. Also, the calculation of new physics effects is demonstrated in
the effective field theory framework for universal theories. We go beyond the
triple-gauge-couplings parametrization, and illustrate the complementarity of
$e^+e^-\to W^+W^-$ and other precision data at the observables level.
