Is Professional Wrestling behind the times?

[bk555]

In the age of endless information and digital media, essentially every single industry in the entire world has been affected by technology and a rapidly expanding online/global community through social media. WWE is no exception to this trend that most TV companies have suffered through in that audiences are becoming much more empowered and choose which content they want to watch or not.

Very few people are actively attached to television shows these days. No one makes an event out of watching a TV show. No one sets aside time to view a certain program (with the exception of actual sporting events). People watch what they want when they want because they now understand that there is a slew of other content on the internet and all over on demand sites like netflix/hbo go/Hulu.

My point of this is that WWE has not exactly done a great job adapting to this new way of business. It's no secret that the company is not exactly thriving financially and even though the WWE network could be commended as a way to engage this global community, I would argue that the logistics of the network and its bumpy rollout were not effective enough.

The mainstream appeal of wrestling has diminished significantly over the last decade or so (which is apparent because it's a big deal when wrestling gets mainstream attention nowadays)

Vince McMahon has always been old school in that he has always adopted the "My Way or the Highway" attitude when it comes to his overall brand and product and he does not understand that the consumer has an IMMENSE amount of power in today's business and media culture. While this is something I think Triple H understands a little bit better, the WWE is still suffering from their inability to realize this sooner I think. So I ask you this:

Is WWE doing an adequate job engaging their modern audience?

Is there anything else they can do to improve the audience's interest in the product?

 

[Jetpack]

Nope. Jumping the gun, a bit. WWE is exactly where they should be. Believe it or not, half of the world is not online, at least not in the capacity to stream media. I know this because it's my field of expertise.

The real problem is that the product is just mediocre. Doesn't matter how you present it... it's boring. The writing is awful and it's too predictable. I can't even watch RAW or Smackdown anymore. I have to record it and fast forward through the whole show of commercials and replays to make sure I didn't miss anything cool. And it never seems to happen. No OMG moments. Nothing surprising.

And this kind of submission hold is insulting. Clearly Emma is holding it all together. I feel dumber for seeing it. Does anyone behind the scenes know how to wrestle? This isn't even a move lol

HIRE NEW WRITERS! REVAMP THE SHOW! DO SOMETHING!

 

[Navi]

Is WWE doing an adequate job engaging their modern audience?

Is there anything else they can do to improve the audience's interest in the product?

With the advent of the WWE Network I think they are engaging a modern audience. They way they rolled it out wasn't the best, but understandable. They already had contracts in other countries and had to wait until they had expired, Sky Box Office being an example.

People don't make it a habit to sit home one night a week to watch shows like they used too. With the amount of channels available, and timeshifting, you can watch a show whenever you want. So having a network available that let's you watch when you can is important and I think that it will turn out okay in the long run.

As for the the second question. Wrestling is wrestling and it's a sport that either you like it or you don't. I remember growing up there was wrestling on Saturday afternoon, so it was a big deal once a week to get to watch it.

I think a lot of the people that would have gotten into wrestling are into UFC or MMA instead. That has a huge following because of the grittiness of the sport, and because it's real. Most UFC fans see wrestling as fake or a poor man's sport, as it's been called. You don't have to suspend your disbelief when your watching UFC cause you know someone is going to get thumped but good. It's also not boring like the repetitive matches we see each week on RAW and SD.

Some of my friends who used to watch now find it boring. Others can't put up with the soap opera aspect of it anymore, and wrestling is losing viewers. I think though there will always be that segment of the population that likes to watch half naked, sweaty men grapple each other, so the WWE has a long life ahead of it. I do agree though that it's glory days are over and they should just try to maintain the viewers they have now.

 

[WBL]

I will give the WWE credit for trying to reach out, via social media, the network, and the app, to try to get a foothold in all forms of entertainment to try to stay relevant and create a community among the fans.

But the product is just... still there. It's the same product it's been for the last decade and a half, with the same guys at top, nonetheless.

It's the what. Not the how.

 

[Headman]

If the WWE were giving us "Must watch tv" instead of one hour of content stretched across a three hour show there would be no issue. People avoid spoilers for taped shows that are can't miss. To be honest the three hour RAW is the single biggest problem they have. They can't fill 3 hours monday, 1 hour tuesday, 2 hours friday and occasionally 3 hours on sundays and expect people to be interested. In the days when RAW was one hour they left us begging for more. In the age of the 2 hour RAWs we were probably closer to satisfied. 3 hours? I can barely make it through the show. So in short, no I don't think the WWE is behind the times in utilizing new technology. I think the network is revolutionary. Eventually just as cable cut into the networks' audience I believe streaming services like Netflix and WWE network will eventually become a serious destination for first run programming. Hell, it's happening already.