THTRobtaylor
Once & Future Wrestlezone Columnist
No Vince is not a trendsetter than this, not even ahead of the curve.
The WWE Network was for MANY years just a name they touted, there was no concrete plan, it could have been a TV channel an actual set of channels or the model they went with. It was only after Netflix had not only launched, grown and begun making it's OWN shows that WWE settled on the format and launched it. They piggy backed to get the technology etc... and bought as much content from the other libraries as possible up to fill the thing up.
Vince McMahon and WWE had a strong library, but not enough alone, they had to buy in WCW, ECW, Mid South, WCCW, Stampede, Memphis and all the others in between and it's still not particularly groundbreaking. Now if he wanted to be a true visionary, he'd have hijacked Jarrett's idea and got NJPW, ROH and OTHER wrestling shows on his network regularly, keeping them seperate but establishing WWE as the new NWA style umbrella organisation for the world... even then you could say it's more full circle than pure vision... but no... he is intent on his now jaded and no longer realistic vision, that WWE be up there with Disney, HBO and MTV as cultural/content icons. They're not... indeed I am certain Disney will end up owning WWE sooner rather than later, once that Star Wars money and Avengers money hit this summer and over Xmas, they can buy any company they want with IP and the boards will not refuse, whatever entrenched management etc say... they could buy Star Wars from George Lucas, they are any day now getting Spidey back from Sony, they can make Vince sell...if only for the IP WWE has... Disney could make endless cartoony products based off of WWE IP...
Now if only Vince could accept being the BEST WRESTLING COMPANY or even that Wrestling Umbrella organisation he dismantled 30 years ago, then WWE Network could be the true vision he had back then... but no he wants Hollywood, Glitz, Glamour, Toys and to be a soap opera.
The WWE Network was for MANY years just a name they touted, there was no concrete plan, it could have been a TV channel an actual set of channels or the model they went with. It was only after Netflix had not only launched, grown and begun making it's OWN shows that WWE settled on the format and launched it. They piggy backed to get the technology etc... and bought as much content from the other libraries as possible up to fill the thing up.
Vince McMahon and WWE had a strong library, but not enough alone, they had to buy in WCW, ECW, Mid South, WCCW, Stampede, Memphis and all the others in between and it's still not particularly groundbreaking. Now if he wanted to be a true visionary, he'd have hijacked Jarrett's idea and got NJPW, ROH and OTHER wrestling shows on his network regularly, keeping them seperate but establishing WWE as the new NWA style umbrella organisation for the world... even then you could say it's more full circle than pure vision... but no... he is intent on his now jaded and no longer realistic vision, that WWE be up there with Disney, HBO and MTV as cultural/content icons. They're not... indeed I am certain Disney will end up owning WWE sooner rather than later, once that Star Wars money and Avengers money hit this summer and over Xmas, they can buy any company they want with IP and the boards will not refuse, whatever entrenched management etc say... they could buy Star Wars from George Lucas, they are any day now getting Spidey back from Sony, they can make Vince sell...if only for the IP WWE has... Disney could make endless cartoony products based off of WWE IP...
Now if only Vince could accept being the BEST WRESTLING COMPANY or even that Wrestling Umbrella organisation he dismantled 30 years ago, then WWE Network could be the true vision he had back then... but no he wants Hollywood, Glitz, Glamour, Toys and to be a soap opera.