Interesting Updates on WWE Network

[Azane]

Too many things that I'd want to see would be censored or cut out, as WWE would try too hard to promote their own agenda, which I can't fault them for, it's just one of the reasons I don't think it would be for me.

Their B show PPVs haven't been enticing me to order as of late either, it gives them less incentive to make their shows better, they already have draws lower than what they're expecting from this network.... They really are putting up numbers close to RAW ratings, that's incredibly delusional, you need to expect the best case scenario for it to be about the lowest PPV sale rate, so 200k as someone said is probably the best they can expect with the current product.

They already spend over an hour a week with their Replays during Raw/Smackdown, that they cant even fill 5 hours. (This last point is why I not longer watch Smackdown)

[shattered dreams]

Originally Posted by George Steele's Barber

This network has little to offer anyone that doesn't buy a few non-WM PPVs a year. I can't see more than 200k people paying for this. Their 2 to 4 million subscriber numbers seem obscene. Plus every dollar spent on the network is clearly a dollar taken away from the "a la carte" PPV or on-demand revenue. This feels more like a power play on the PPV providers than a serious endeavour.

These points kind of echo my thoughts. When I first heard about the network I thought it was a good idea as a way to break from the outdated PPV model. But what it seems like is that WWE was never able to attract sponsors or investors to make the idea work. If they had this thing would have launched a long time ago. Instead they are going to try and mix the two and hope for the best. I am highly skeptical they have the content for this. If they stick with PG they end up ruling out much of their rabid fanbase due to infuriating editing. If they don't then mommy is going to cancel the channel once she finds out what little jimmy is wasting the school clothes money on. Even if they keep the whole audience somehow they have the issue of not even doing half a million buys for their best non-wrestlemania PPVs and for their lower tier stuff 200,000 is a best case scenario. I have no idea how they expect to get 1 million, let alone 4 million (barring a potentially disastrous move of RAW). Seems like now you get a PPV and a months worth of content for 15 bucks, which is a pretty remarkable drop, yet still a lot for the average person to pay just for wrestling each month. I don't know how much they make under the current system from each PPV (once other parties are paid) which makes it tough to see if there is a silver lining here on what otherwise looks like a sketchy business venture.

[Nu Sexier Noun]

Originally Posted by George Steele's Barber

0% chance I would subscribe. I hate paying my cable every month as it is. Every extra dolar sends me further and further in to rage.

This network has little to offer anyone that doesn't buy a few non-WM PPVs a year. I can't see more than 200k people paying for this. Their 2 to 4 million subscriber numbers seem obscene. Plus every dollar spent on the network is clearly a dollar taken away from the "a la carte" PPV or on-demand revenue. This feels more like a power play on the PPV providers than a serious endeavour.

I still feel like the WWE network belongs as a basic cable channel with commercials. Maybe included in some type of sports package. They have to be able to put up better numbers than IonTV. The key would be to find a way to combine PPV programming on a basic cable network.

I don't know, other than watching way too much TV in my life I'm no expert but everything about this feels like smoke and mirrors, not that Vince would ever do anything underhanded.

Actually, WWE make about the same per subscriber as they do per PPV buy. Since WWE only make ~30% of the cost of buying a PPV (the rest goes to the cable companies), wheras they'd be making 100% of the money from subscribers it works out as being roughly the same. It's still delusional to expect millions of people to buy their network though. WWE can't get much more than a million people to buy 'Mania. Why do they think they'll get two million to pay for minor PPVs that get less than half of what 'Mania does?

[shattered dreams]

Originally Posted by Nu Sexier Noun

Actually, WWE make about the same per subscriber as they do per PPV buy. Since WWE only make ~30% of the cost of buying a PPV (the rest goes to the cable companies), wheras they'd be making 100% of the money from subscribers it works out as being roughly the same. It's still delusional to expect millions of people to buy their network though. WWE can't get much more than a million people to buy 'Mania. Why do they think they'll get two million to pay for minor PPVs that get less than half of what 'Mania does?

I have no idea but I guess it is cost difference related. If they indeed make a similar amount then it might be a good long-term move for that reason alone. People would be more likely to buy a PPV at that price generally speaking, then again WWE still incurs all the costs related with distributing it which they didn't before.