All WWE Network Discussion

[Arsenal]

If it's true they are moving all the pay-per-views except for the big 4 (WrestleMania, SummerSlam, Survivor Series, Royal Rumble) to the WWE Network, that's GREAT news. A HUGE problem in recent years is too many PPVs. When you only have 3-4 weeks to "build" a PPV then most of them will suck, which is currently the case.

Now with only the big-4 PPVs left, they can really build them up into something special, like they used to back in the 80's and 90's. They can then have ~ 8 Saturday Night's Main Event type specials on the WWE Network, or keep the secondary PPV names if they like.

If they go back to properly building up the big-4 PPV's, I'll probably order all of them, whereas I've only ordered 1 PPV in recent years because they're nothing special any more. One other needed move is to cut back on the amount of "PPV Quality" matches on RAW and Smackdown. You can't expect people to pay extra for the same match they'll see for free on RAW. They can then supplement RAW with highlights from the WWE Network "PPVs".

As an example, back in the day it was rare to see Hulk Hogan wrestle. You'd only see him on the big-4 PPV's, and possibly on Saturday Night's Main Event. Probably you could see him wrestle on TV a total of ~ 10-15 matches per year. Today on the other hand, John Cena gets totally overexposed because he is wrestling virtually every week on RAW.

 

[greginator5000]

I'd love to see a talk show with a commentator or legend being the host. They could bring Superstars out and interview them. I'd also love to see some kind of game show with superstars and divas moving through obstacles and the winner gets $100,000 to give to the charity of their choice.

 

[scomvp316]

There should be a poll of how many people think VKM will screw this concept up. In his mind he still thinks people tune into his weekly programming for entertainment and not the wrestling. I can see thousands of people standing around the water cooler or the docks saying can't wait until Raw is on tonight so I can see Santino make an ass of himself and a waste of a spot on the roster. Its quite simple show all the archival footage in its original entirety. I don't think UFC when they have their network will have garbage reality shows to try and get mid-level sponsors to cover the cost of the network cause they are cheap bastards. UFC's Network will release their digital library in the proper format week to week month to month. VKM will screw this up and half way through try to sell the idea to NBC so then it will look like the wrestling fans fault and not his stupid idea that entertainment is minor in what people tune in for. Why did WCW kick his ass for almost two years again? Oh yeah good promos,quality matches on free tv, and for the most part in that 86 week stretch gave the fans what they wanted to see!

 

[Flip36]

I can give two shits about the way the logo looks for the network... As far as I'm concerned, it's just the old logo but fully colored in... which isn't bad at all.

What I'm more interested in, is the promise of two NEW "in-ring" shows to debut on the network. I'm wondering if they mean NEW new or if they mean retro new... like possibly bringing NXT and Superstars back to television. Hopefully, they mean NEW new and will put FCW's weekly show on the air for us to view. I personally would love nothing more than to be able to see Seth Rollins deliver God's Last Gift to someone in a WWE related environment. I also wouldn't mind seeing Audrey Marie's sexy body on my high def television, or in 3D for that matter.

Also, I'm pretty sure WWE will put on some of their featured films such as See No Evil and stuff like that... which is really not terrible at all. I personally find WWE movies to be enjoyable and would love to watch a few of them more often.

I am with you on all you said, I think they chances of Superstars and NXT being on the network are great, and will happen, FCW would be refreshing to see up and comers.

 

[WWEIsLife2]

There should be a poll of how many people think VKM will screw this concept up. In his mind he still thinks people tune into his weekly programming for entertainment and not the wrestling. I can see thousands of people standing around the water cooler or the docks saying can't wait until Raw is on tonight so I can see Santino make an ass of himself and a waste of a spot on the roster. Its quite simple show all the archival footage in its original entirety. I don't think UFC when they have their network will have garbage reality shows to try and get mid-level sponsors to cover the cost of the network cause they are cheap bastards. UFC's Network will release their digital library in the proper format week to week month to month. VKM will screw this up and half way through try to sell the idea to NBC so then it will look like the wrestling fans fault and not his stupid idea that entertainment is minor in what people tune in for. Why did WCW kick his ass for almost two years again? Oh yeah good promos,quality matches on free tv, and for the most part in that 86 week stretch gave the fans what they wanted to see!

Yet everytime WCW had a Main Event on Nitro they started it 2 minutes before the end and said TUNE IN NEXT WEEK. Yep thats real quality right there buddy. Plus re-hashing the nWo every time was real quality as well right? Hiring Vince Russo to "save" them was a quality move as well right? Yep they really gave the Fans what they wanted,WCW was real in tune with what everyone wanted. I watched and liked WCW as well but they did alot of stupid things.

I don't think Vince will screw The Network up because not only will they break out some different stuff like Reality Shows they will show Past Shows/PPVs/etc. I always love it when people assume something will get screwed up before its even happend yet. Looks like The Network's Debut has been pushed back to September.

 

[scomvp316]

I said WCW had the fans interest when they were the top promotion for almost a two year period. VKM still has this thought process that entertainment will bring in more fans and the numbers from over the years don't reflect his thought process. If VKM has this network like the NFL or MLB Network it will be successful. If they spawn off to more entertainment to try to get quality ratings to bring in sponsors like both networks of VH1 or MTV of recent they will fail. Those two networks ratings over the last 5 years have been at its lowest even with the influx of The Jersey Shore cause you need more than one great show to support an entire network. The idea of this network would be to bring back the older fans to the network and to educate newer fans of the promotions WWE control from an archival POV. Network Executives of different genres have already stated if its too one sided of either too much entertainment or too much wrestling it will fail. The best Network to follow an example is the NFL Network!

 

[ECW Sandman]

I was just thinking to my self and thought about something will The WWE Network be broadcasting the entire WWE Hall Of Fame Ceremony on the network or will some of it still be on WWE.com like they do for the USA Network one hour is on the WWE website and the last hour will be on WWE Network.

 

[scomvp316]

I think this network can be as succesful as the NFL Network if done right. If this network has way too much non-wrestling shows like reality shows it will fail miserably. With the vast library of archives they have its inexcusable to think "wrestling" won't work on this channel. Any fan that states if it has too much wrestling then they aren't a true fan. with all of the archives this will bring in some of the lost fans that went to MMA since 2002. As follows are my ideas per day of the week of what shoul be aired and feel free to comment on these ideas!

Monday-Have airings of PTW,Raw, and Nitro
One hour before raw goes on the air have a pre show that recaps last week's show
Tuesday-From 6pm To Midnight air two PPV's one from WWE and another from either JCP/WCW or ECW in its original entirety
Wednesday-Wrestlemania Wednesday should have past WM events in its original entirety along with airings of other matches of top talent that have participated in this event of matches from other promotions
Thursday-Air material of the greatest rivaleries in the history of the business from start to finish
From 9-11pm air two episodes of a new show showcasing FCW past and present talent including material from OVW
Friday-Air past shows of SD and Hardcore TV
Much like on Mondays one hour before SD goes on the air have a pre show
Saturday-6-8pm Championship Saturday Nights replays from JCP/WCW
8-midnight air WWE movies and purchase movies that fit WWE's characters from past and present
Sunday-Up to Noon air special events in its original entirety such as SNME and COTC
Air past Superstars and WC shows
6pm-Midnight air in its original entirety PPV's in chronological order starting with Starrcade '83

 

[scomvp316]

For some of us wrestling fans we also are fans of MMA. With the rumors over the past year with UFC possibly purchasing G4 it seems that potential deal will not happen. WWE should air WWE Network concepts on G4 that they would have for the WWE Network along with airings in their original entirety certain archival content. This would give WWE like a cheat sheet of what possible success the WWE Network can have. If they get good ratings then WWE should purchase G4 and keep original programming G4 has established.

 

[scomvp316]

It looks like the Network will be pushed back to late November probably around Survivor Series time. There is no excuse why this network should not be up and running by this year's WM. If this Network strays away from wrestling much like WWE Studios,the restaurant and entertainment facilty called The World,Las Vegas Casino,and the XFL the network will fail miserably and prove VKM is good with business obtaining to wrestling but all other business ventires he is a miserable failure much like his father predicted. The question for fans is how many want a mix of wrestling and entertainment,just wrestling,or majority wrestling with entertainment shows sprinkled in on this network?

 

[The Fabulous Rougeau's]

It seems like NFLN is the best model to follow for this sort of thing. Following that model, their should be one flagship program. Just like NFLN has total access, WWEN would need the same sort of show. It would do what total access does in that it recaps what has happened and talks about what could happen. Then for the week before a PPV you could have a special edition of the program that goes in depth on the ppv or another program alltogether. Also for NFLN the time leading up to their draft is huge. The WWE could do something where instead of drafting from the current talent pool for their shows, every year they draft from their developmental program and showcase their talent in a combine style event that could lead up to a live draft on the network with wrestling on the show of course. Also pre and post show coverage of all WWE shows (including ppv's). Then you can have different types of lists and stories from the past and sprinkle in classic matches/cards and you have yourself a network.

 

[scomvp316]

The launch date once again is scheduled a week before Survivor Series this year. WWE can't keep delaying especially with the UFC near completetion of thier archives being digitally ready for their own network.

Some of the new shows will be WM Rewind and MNW's:Raw vs Nitro. The RAW vs NITRO will be huge but I would love to see SNME vs COTC seeing those shows was basically free PPV's on tv. Love to also see a rivalry series profiling talent in the complete rivalry like all matches a promos involving Sting vs Flair or Hogan vs Savage. I think every Saturday Night show the past Championship Saturday Night shows that aired originally on TBS. WWE has a great opportunity here to give back to the fans and sprinkle in some entertainment shows but if there is more entertainment shows this network will have a hard time attracting new sponsors not involved with WWE at this point.

 

[scomvp316]

This channel should be not for the WWE fan but the wrestling fan in general. This channel can succeed if VKM can bring 25% of the fans he had lost from 2002-2005. Recently WWE took out a $200 mill credit line to ensure for the first 24-36 months of losing money to this network. VKM has admitted less entertainment shows 80% wrestling archives and then sprinkle in WWE studio projects. As far as WWE Studios goes they should drop that name and try to make a deal with Dreamworks or Lionsgate. These archives should be shown in their original entirety minus archives that might have Benoit in them. with the mass library WWE has they can package these archives into sets many times with the right concepts. For example on Halloween show the Halloween havocs PPV's in their entirety along with packaged archives consisting of blood and any extreme type match including ECW archives. On Thanksgiving and perhaps the following day a marathon of Survivor Series PPV's something similar to an anthology set. On Christmas Eve and Christmas have a marathon of Starrcade!

 

[Hbkfan4eva]

i hope the wwe network will be shown overseas i live in australia and i cannot wait to watch old school episodes of raw and i really enjoy the legends roundtable