WWE Network pushed back

[The Man They Call WMD]

According to several people I spoke to today, the word at Raw was that WWE will be pushing the debut of the WWE Network back several months until the Fall of 2012.
The reason for the push back is that the company just won't have the infrastructure needed in place by the originally planned launch date of 4/1 to tie it into Wrestlemania weekend. It was described to me as a decision the company didn't want to make but one that they "had to make" for the long term good of the Network's viability.

I haven't heard of a new official launch date beyond "The Fall." While 4/1 was the original planned launch, the company never officially announced it to the public.

I was told that projects that were currently being produced for the Network will go forward as planned, as the feeling is they can be kept "in the can" and ready to go when the Network launches.

There had been no word on any cable or satellite clearances for the WWE Network as of this writing.

That blows, was looking forward to free ppv.

 

[Fuel The Fire]

That does indeed suck

 

[Harthan]

Not shocking at all. The network had absolutely no infrastructure and was basically floundering to get any support. No executive in their right mind wanted to sign onto the project. It was destined to go the way of Oprah's network. With a half a year or so to slow down and work it out, maybe they can salvage this thing.

 

[Unsold Bacon]

Well that sucks.

 

[FlexAmerican Dynamite]

Then they need to stop playing these awesome promos getting people hyped like it's coming out soon. Pretty sure were going to have to wait alittle less than a year now rite?

 

[xoxo French Kiss xoxo]

when the rumored shows are

a cooking show featuring the Big Show and his wife...

a reality show featuring has been wrestlers from the past...

.....someone needs to rethink a lot of some things

Its a serious business risk for the WWE, and Vince in general. If it fails he's completely and beyond fucked. I think the rumored amount of money taken out in a loan to get things going was in the 250+ million range. Oprah is one of the wealthiest people in the world, so her Network failing wasn't a huge blow to her, and she had sponsorship out the ass. The WWE as a company could be completely fucked. Raw and Smackdown would be safe, but the promotion behind the company would be up in the air

As for the network, Id tune in to watch old Raws, Old Smackdowns, and old WCW Nitros, Thunders, free PPV's... but the rest of that shit, no.

 

[DirtyD79]

when the rumored shows are

a cooking show featuring the Big Show and his wife...

a reality show featuring has been wrestlers from the past...

.....someone needs to rethink a lot of some things

Its a serious business risk for the WWE, and Vince in general. If it fails he's completely and beyond fucked. I think the rumored amount of money taken out in a loan to get things going was in the 250+ million range. Oprah is one of the wealthiest people in the world, so her Network failing wasn't a huge blow to her, and she had sponsorship out the ass. The WWE as a company could be completely fucked. Raw and Smackdown would be safe, but the promotion behind the company would be up in the air

As for the network, Id tune in to watch old Raws, Old Smackdowns, and old WCW Nitros, Thunders, free PPV's... but the rest of that shit, no.

Yeah they should do a format similar to the NFL network where they do reruns of older wrestling shows or pay per views, wrestling related news, and occasional biographies of hall of fame wrestlers and promoters. along with traditional pay per views they could do an event that will only be shown on their network.

 

[ABMorales787]

"It's not Jim, it's GENE!"