How does everyone feel about a wrestling off season. Have RAW stop and start in seasons etc. Give the wrestlers a chance to rest, give the fans a break and give the creative staff to create some new exciting stories. What do you guys think about it? I understand that it isn't very realistic but nonetheless, I wanted you guys opinions.
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Wrestling off season
- Thread starter Ashw825
- Start date
The Fabulous Rougeau's
Championship Contender
If WWE were to ever propose a off season, I would propose that it last two months and encompass all of May and June. Reason being is that this would make heighten WWE's two top shows since under the new format Mania would be the last major show of a season and SummerSlam would be the 1st major show of a season.
I'm sure WWE has already done this analysis, so I'm guessing that the money that they would save for shutting down for two months is less than the money they make being on the road during that time.
I'm sure WWE has already done this analysis, so I'm guessing that the money that they would save for shutting down for two months is less than the money they make being on the road during that time.
Hate the idea literally your looking at wwe like a sport, and wwe is'nt a sport, its entertainment show, there is no season for wrestling? and if your meaning around wrestlemania time, thats my least fav time of wrestling why?
cause they just throw horrible dream matches, into cheap quick investments to make a dollar. wwe would never do this cause they want more and more spots on tv, and wwe would never lose 20 millon dollars just to give wrestlers a break
cause they just throw horrible dream matches, into cheap quick investments to make a dollar. wwe would never do this cause they want more and more spots on tv, and wwe would never lose 20 millon dollars just to give wrestlers a break
I think it's a terrible idea. I'm all for time off for the talent but you don't need an off season to do that. You're basically going to give people two months off to lose interest and find something else to watch. I'd rather see an optional two months off for individual talent to rest up or freshen up their character. If they don't want to lose their steam or the paycheck they can opt out of the vacation, but for those who feel burned out they should have that option and Vince should encourage it. He doesn't need 100% of the roster 100% of the time. There's no way to use everybody all at once. This would also give creative more time to figure out what to do with a certain guy instead of just plugging him into a meaningless or half baked storyline.
I'm not looking at it as much from a sports perspective as I am a show perspective. The biggest television shows in the world have breaks to build anticipation for the return. A lot of people can't handle the amount of tv the WWE puts out every week. However, if they were given time to realize that they miss it, then when it returns, they may be more inclined to tune in. Also, I understand that you admire the work rate of the performers, but the safety of the workers comes first, and with small breaks in the year, they will have a chance to rest and get a chance to do what normal people do. I think this would not only improve the safety of the work environment, but would also increase the moral of the wrestlers.
Also people who say that it will lose interest in the show, look at the biggest tv shows in the world, Big Bang Theory, The Walking Dead, Breaking Bad and all of these shows. They all take breaks. Wrestling fans are more dedicated than any other fans in the world, they will tune in when it returns.
Personally, I'm not a fan off them having an off season but I think what could be helpful for the performers is to have a period of a month or 2 where they don't travel. They could still do the televised shows but have in the same location for a short period of time.
Las Vegas could be a possible place to stay
Las Vegas could be a possible place to stay
It is something that is very interesting with many different pros and cons. It would give them greater time to rest and ensure they remain healthy. A break would mean the fans become desperate for it to return to TV and interest and ratings would improve.
The major problem is the loss in revenue. If the WWE are of TV, PPV and even house shows then they are not making as much money. Merchandise sales will also go down if superstars aren't on TV every week.
The major problem is the loss in revenue. If the WWE are of TV, PPV and even house shows then they are not making as much money. Merchandise sales will also go down if superstars aren't on TV every week.
Spidey Revivey
Porn is okay here long as it ain't dudes.
In the book WWE: Unscripted, a wrestler mentioned that "time off was a wrestler's worst enemy". I don't rightfully know whether it was Chris Jericho, Ric Flair, or someone else who said it, or even if I got it right or paraphrasing, but I do remember a quote like that in the book.
If superstars themselves dread time off (which is understandable- ring rust and all that), why on earth would the company they want to make money in give them an off season? Sure, we may think that would prevent less injuries, but think about it in perspective: there you are, on top of your game, being told to sit it out a few months at the house. Even if WWE covers your stay at home, when it's time to compete again, the crowd may remember you- but you're not fresh on their mind. You will show signs of rust because you were away from wrestling for a while, so your first few matches will look sloppy (and downright dangerous for you and your opponent). You may have had a Twinkie or two, so your physique ain't as great as the other guys, and people notice that shit. You're stuck looking worse for wear.
And that's IF the company calls you back. Remember- you're not making WWE money sitting at home. So there's that.
If superstars themselves dread time off (which is understandable- ring rust and all that), why on earth would the company they want to make money in give them an off season? Sure, we may think that would prevent less injuries, but think about it in perspective: there you are, on top of your game, being told to sit it out a few months at the house. Even if WWE covers your stay at home, when it's time to compete again, the crowd may remember you- but you're not fresh on their mind. You will show signs of rust because you were away from wrestling for a while, so your first few matches will look sloppy (and downright dangerous for you and your opponent). You may have had a Twinkie or two, so your physique ain't as great as the other guys, and people notice that shit. You're stuck looking worse for wear.
And that's IF the company calls you back. Remember- you're not making WWE money sitting at home. So there's that.
Mac Attack
I'm neat.
To me if WWE had an off season then I'd think it would actually HURT the product way more than it could ever help the product. WWE is like a show like Jeopardy you know when it's on and you know there's never a break from it. It's appealing and having storylines being enhanced and built upon make the show what it is. Also, there's no "good" time for an offseason. I've seen those promoting the idea saying it should be after Mania however if this is the case than all the people who get built up for Mania lose ALL their steam for the next "season." Honestly if WWE ever did this it would be the perfect time for a company like TNA to step up.
Jack-Hammer
YOU WILL RESPECT MY AUTHORITAH!!!!
As has been pointed out, when it comes to companies like WWE and TNA, an "off season" would cost them a lot of revenue. Pro wrestling has long been a staple of cable television and one reason why is because, compared to most other original programming, the production cost is quite cheap. Right now, USA pays somewhere in the neighborhood of $1 million for each episode of Raw. To someone looking in on the outside, that's a whole lot but it really isn't when you think about things. Each cast member of the CBS sitcom The Big Bang Theory makes $350,000 per episode. The main cast features 7 actors & actresses, so that comes to $2,450,000 for just those actors for each new episode. That's not factoring in the production costs for the camera crew, the writers of the show, the director, producer, etc. In some very popular shows, it's not uncommon for the stars to make in excess of $1 million per episode.
Comparatively speaking, pro wrestling has always been something that's drawn significant viewers while costing a fraction of what many other programs cost. Pro wrestling television shows bring new content to the networks they air on every week as opposed to maybe 22-25 weeks a year for more traditional dramas & sitcoms on broadcast networks like ABC, CBS, Fox & NBC. For most reality shows, each season tends to last somewhere in the neighborhood of about 10-12 episodes, whether they air on broadcast or cable networks. The relatively low cost plus new content each week is something that networks like and want.
As it pertains to WWE & TNA, they're generally the two most consistent draws for the networks they air on. Factoring in DVR viewership for Raw, it tends to draw in the 4.5 - 4.7 million viewership range on average; making it the #1 show on USA. SmackDown! over on Syfy has been the biggest draw for the network since it debuted, which will be 3years on October 1st. Again, with DVR, SmackDown! generally draws somewhere close to 3 million, sometimes more. For a cable network, these are great numbers but would be considered pretty lousy for one of the four broadcast networks. For the past month or so, with DVR viewership, Impact Wrestling draws somewhere in the 1.4 - 1.45 million. While not exactly setting the world on fire, they're good numbers compared to most other programming on Spike. Otherwise, I think Impact Wrestling would have been cancelled a long time ago, especially after the Monday Night Experiment.
Plus, there's also revenue from domestic & international house shows, revenue from ppv buys, various merchandise such t-shirts, hats, posters & pictures, DVD sales, etc. In the grand scheme of things, pro wrestling is also something of a niche market. It isn't something that's ingrained into the public consciousness the same way pro football or basketball is. If WWE took 3 or 4 months off, there's no real guarantee that viewers would turn back onto Raw on Mondays or SD! on Fridays. There's no real guarantee that 5,000+ people will start coming back to the house shows like they regularly do.
For wrestling companies on the level of WWE and TNA, an off season could mean millions of dollars down the tubes. Pro wrestlers who want to be able to make the big money must realize that there has to be a trade off. That's always been a known & accepted fact no matter if the year is 2013 or 1973 and that trade off is that you have to work and work hard, even if you don't really feel like it sometimes.
Comparatively speaking, pro wrestling has always been something that's drawn significant viewers while costing a fraction of what many other programs cost. Pro wrestling television shows bring new content to the networks they air on every week as opposed to maybe 22-25 weeks a year for more traditional dramas & sitcoms on broadcast networks like ABC, CBS, Fox & NBC. For most reality shows, each season tends to last somewhere in the neighborhood of about 10-12 episodes, whether they air on broadcast or cable networks. The relatively low cost plus new content each week is something that networks like and want.
As it pertains to WWE & TNA, they're generally the two most consistent draws for the networks they air on. Factoring in DVR viewership for Raw, it tends to draw in the 4.5 - 4.7 million viewership range on average; making it the #1 show on USA. SmackDown! over on Syfy has been the biggest draw for the network since it debuted, which will be 3years on October 1st. Again, with DVR, SmackDown! generally draws somewhere close to 3 million, sometimes more. For a cable network, these are great numbers but would be considered pretty lousy for one of the four broadcast networks. For the past month or so, with DVR viewership, Impact Wrestling draws somewhere in the 1.4 - 1.45 million. While not exactly setting the world on fire, they're good numbers compared to most other programming on Spike. Otherwise, I think Impact Wrestling would have been cancelled a long time ago, especially after the Monday Night Experiment.
Plus, there's also revenue from domestic & international house shows, revenue from ppv buys, various merchandise such t-shirts, hats, posters & pictures, DVD sales, etc. In the grand scheme of things, pro wrestling is also something of a niche market. It isn't something that's ingrained into the public consciousness the same way pro football or basketball is. If WWE took 3 or 4 months off, there's no real guarantee that viewers would turn back onto Raw on Mondays or SD! on Fridays. There's no real guarantee that 5,000+ people will start coming back to the house shows like they regularly do.
For wrestling companies on the level of WWE and TNA, an off season could mean millions of dollars down the tubes. Pro wrestlers who want to be able to make the big money must realize that there has to be a trade off. That's always been a known & accepted fact no matter if the year is 2013 or 1973 and that trade off is that you have to work and work hard, even if you don't really feel like it sometimes.
Dysturbed
Under the radar
I personally would watch after a break and still enjoy things as I am not too picky, but for the many reasons that people have mentioned, I don't think that it would be the best idea. There are definitely pros to it that were also mentioned.
It could also mean that the portion of the fanbase that currently watches moreso out of habit than strong desire would cut out the habit and not return when the show does. Things are pretty stable as is, but may be less stable if those fans turn out to make a dent. I doubt it since they are the minority, but it’s a slight possibility.
As for the fans who are desperate for it to return, a lot of them may feel let down when months of speculating and prediction, lead to being let down. That already happens now since so many fans envision so many different things, but with the time off, the predictions would be even bigger. Then again, the people who willingly returned after the break would probably still continue to tune in anyway.
Plus storyline things like wrestlers who are champs before the break automatically having an extra couple of months added onto their title reigns would possibly happen, unless those two months wouldn't be counted.
Obviously wrestlers do need time for breaks so maybe giving each one a couple of months off per year (just not due to an offseason would be a good idea, but even that would be risky since those wrestlers wouldn't want to lose momentum, nor would WWE necessarily want to stop using them.
It could also mean that the portion of the fanbase that currently watches moreso out of habit than strong desire would cut out the habit and not return when the show does. Things are pretty stable as is, but may be less stable if those fans turn out to make a dent. I doubt it since they are the minority, but it’s a slight possibility.
As for the fans who are desperate for it to return, a lot of them may feel let down when months of speculating and prediction, lead to being let down. That already happens now since so many fans envision so many different things, but with the time off, the predictions would be even bigger. Then again, the people who willingly returned after the break would probably still continue to tune in anyway.
Plus storyline things like wrestlers who are champs before the break automatically having an extra couple of months added onto their title reigns would possibly happen, unless those two months wouldn't be counted.
Obviously wrestlers do need time for breaks so maybe giving each one a couple of months off per year (just not due to an offseason would be a good idea, but even that would be risky since those wrestlers wouldn't want to lose momentum, nor would WWE necessarily want to stop using them.
There is the possibility that fans don't return but if they end each season with something incredible then when it starts back again we are more interested. If they ended with something absolutely shocking then the viewers will be desperate for it to return. Moreover, they could really hype the first show back, maybe have a few part-timers on the first Raw and they could achieve record level of interest.
WWE does not need an "off-season" but even as a hardcore fan it is impossible to keep up with the amount of programming they put out. I do think that WWE should probably have 6-8 weeks where they skip Raw & Smackdown (mainly on the holiday weekends where people aren't worried about watching wrestling anyways). During those weeks you give the talent a little rest & relaxation and the fans get a break too. I firmly believe that the quality of the show would improve if you cut the ppvs down to 6-8 a year as well. As much as I love the WWE I would really appreciate if they gave me a little longer to get invested in feuds & didn't try to get $60 bucks out of me every month, it's a frigging joke what the non-big 4 ppvs have become. If they're not going to cut the ppvs back then at least cut the price in half for the glorified Raws they try to sell us every month
MrMojoRisin
Championship Contender
I like the idea of using a modified Japanese style.
Set up tours, where you have all the talent on the road for say 6 weeks of shows... then you give them a break from the road for 3-4 weeks before the next tour starts. The exception being TV. You still run TV weekly like always.
Maybe even return to the brand split and actually do a real brand split this time, so while the RAW tour is on hiatus, you're running Smackdown around the loop, so this way you always have a show running, and the talent being exclusive to their particular show except for the occasional cross promotion.
You still have TV on every week. You're still running shows. You have the ability to utilize more of your roster and you're keeping the talent fresher and happier by giving them more time off.
Set up tours, where you have all the talent on the road for say 6 weeks of shows... then you give them a break from the road for 3-4 weeks before the next tour starts. The exception being TV. You still run TV weekly like always.
Maybe even return to the brand split and actually do a real brand split this time, so while the RAW tour is on hiatus, you're running Smackdown around the loop, so this way you always have a show running, and the talent being exclusive to their particular show except for the occasional cross promotion.
You still have TV on every week. You're still running shows. You have the ability to utilize more of your roster and you're keeping the talent fresher and happier by giving them more time off.
