I read the numbers are from September 30th, so another hit will certainly be incoming when those who bought the Network the week before Mania don't renew to see the elimination tag and whatever else they come up with.
Another thing that has to be mentioned is that WWE took stricter measures against people subscribing from non-supported countries. Initially, I was able to subscribe with a German PayPal account, but couldn't renew because WWE began to check that. I could probably subscribe with a virtual credit card, but right now it isn't worth the hassle for me. Don't have to take my money if you don't want it. I don't know how big of a hit this is, but on a German wrestling forum there were around a hundred people mentioning the same problem, so it might amount to something. There is international interest, I'm sure of that.
Overall, I'd say the advertising has been bad. WWE comes off more like a beggar, soliciting for 9,99$ instead of boasting the advantages. I see several ways to improve this.
You have NXT, the future factory, with a contrasting style to the main program. Show clips of exciting moments like Neville's Red Arrow, have him defeat jobbers on SmackDown, show clips of Cesaro's and other former NXT guys' work there, highlight the characters. Give it exposure.
Use the rich history to your advantage. Regularly run commentated clips like "John Cena debuted on SmackDown 12 years ago. / Mick Foley became WWE champion 15 years ago. / Bret Hart fought his brother Owen inside a cage 20 years ago. You can see it on the Network." or "This legendary episode of RAW will be uploaded to the Network tonight. Register today to relive the greatness."
Highlight the saving, not the price. "Remember when you had to pay 50$ for Survivor Series? This is the past. For less than ten dollars you can see the show and have unlimited access to the grand history of WWE, WCW and other legendary leagues."
Don't annoy your viewers, integrate it fluently into the program.
There is too much TV. Either use your roster (guys like Axel, Ryder, Gabriel, Fandango or R-Truth aren't doing a lot) or try to cut the program down. I know there are television deals and you can't just broadcast two hours instead of three, but oversaturation has become a serious problem. RAW being two hours or SmackDown being cut to a one hour, high-profile talent only show would be my favorites if creative can't use the unused potential.
The program is bad, the creative direction is abysmal, and this is a crucial year for the WWE. People are fighting each other for months on end with no development, characters are thrown on screen with no direction or perspective besides the initial month, the same three creative devices are used over and over, big matches are often little more than finisher galore, the main prize is nowhere to be seen, sometimes you can smell the nepotism through your screen and much more. But you already knew that.
Then there are small problems like a fickle player, lack of original content and undetermined content additions. An upload schedule would help.
But yeah, I think the Network will work out, because it has to and WWE will change its ways if there's no alternative. It's progressive and great for wrestling fans, that's for sure. In the long run they won't fuck it up, they can't afford to.
