WWE Network planning to become new home for WrestleMania, Royal Rumble, Summerslam and Survivor Series?
by Geno Mrosko on Sep 22, 2011 1:59 PM EDT
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WWE rushed the announcement of its own television network in order to get out in front of UFC and its perceived plans to do the same. Except UFC signed a deal with FOX Sports and now that's completely off the table for them. Nevertheless, WWE is going forward with its network for a sometime in 2012.
Details are still extremely murky and that's because they're still being worked out. There may be some clues, though, in a recent surveys released by the company. Here's one from ProWrestling.Inc:
Imagine a 24-hour cable network that was run by The WWE. It featured a mix of WWE-made programs, including new shows, repeats of Raw and SmackDown from USA and Syfy and "classic" or "historical" programs featuring shows from different promotions like classic WWE footage, WCW, ECW, NWA, AWA, etc. from years past.
It would have two new weekly WWE live in-ring shows (wrestling), but not SmackDown or Raw.
It would have a daily live in-studio viewer interactive show similar to SportsCenter.
Additionally, this network would include WWE's "classic big 4" pay-per-view events including WrestleMania, SummerSlam, Survivor Series and Royal Rumble to the lineup at no additional cost. Rather than having to pay for them, they would now be specials with the same match quality you're used to seeing on pay-per-view for no additional cost. These 4 events would only be available on The WWE Network.
In addition to The WWE Network, you would receive approximately 30 additional channels including NFL Network, NBA TV, Biography Channel, Fox Business Network and Fuel TV.
How interested would you be in upgrading your service for an additional $7-$12 per month to a tier which would include the WWE Network described above?
I would find it not only odd but absolutely insane if WWE started giving away its "big four" pay-per-views, in particular WrestleMania, just to drive subscriptions to the channel. I can't imagine that makes any sense economically.
Use the comments section to fill out the survey, Cagesiders. Are you up for paying the extra coin for all of that?
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im not sure how TV networks work,
and since im not in the US even lesser info..but lets assume that the network creates a good enough viewer base wouldn’t the money of ad spots – especially for these 4 events- be good enough to cover the lost PPV buys, or even exceed them. And just wondering (being very optimistic actually) whether having your very own network after Linda’s senate run would mean that they might switch to a non PG rating broadcast..as i said just being optimistic.
Sounds odd to me
that they would move those cash cows (Rumble and WM at least) to the network but that’s for them to decide. One way or the other though Id sure as hell sign up.
by AverageJoeEveryman on Sep 22, 2011 2:17 PM EDT reply actions
I have to say that I would totally do this, especially if it included the big 4.
That would be about $36 for each.
It would give them steady income rather than the ever shaky PPV revenue.
I imagine that the two new shows would be superstars and NXT or at least similar.
That being said, I have Verizon Fios and already have all of those channels. Would it just be added in?
by davidhamilton83 on Sep 22, 2011 2:22 PM EDT reply actions
I wonder how cable companies would feel about WWE if they take those shows off of PPV
by Jonathan Loesche on Sep 22, 2011 2:24 PM EDT reply actions
They probably wouldn't
just wouldn’t make subscribers have to pay for it on PPV
"In fact, most of these free-swinging Padres couldn’t hit Dock’s funky palm ball. I threw it often. But by then, also, the first acid distractions entered: the TV flickered; the cracks in the wall started to move; the hand soap started to breathe — those sorts of things. Plus I was drawn to the outdoor garden between innings. Rain was near, I sensed." - A.J. Daulerio
Oddly enough
I already get NFL, Bio, and FNB. No NBA or Fuel though.
by Anthony Steven Lewis on Sep 22, 2011 2:29 PM EDT reply actions
This isnt going to happen
No I’m not an insider like some of these other people but if the WWE was going to give up certain PPV’s it’s not gonna be the big 4.
Here’s my bet. The WWE Network will have an HBO like deal. PPV’s will remain PPV but if you get the WWE Network you will probably get the big 4(maybe more) free a week after they air.
Cost-wise, it balances out
Plus you get the other programming. Put it and Boomerang on the same tier and I’d pay. Not for the PPVs, I want to check out the libraries.
Release...the KITTIES!
How many cents per viewer can the WWE get from the cable companies?
That will tell us how profitable such a venture would be.
Doesn't make sense?
PPV companies take somewhere in the range of 50-60% of the PPV profit. Does the Superbowl have that problem? World Series? NBA Finals? No they don’t. The superbowl is a cash monster because the NFL and TV networks split that ad revenue making them insane amounts of money. Can you imagine what Wrestlemania on cable TV with Rock/Cena headlining, could command in ad revenue? WWE would keep 70-80% of that money. WWE made 27M off Wrestlemania, if there was no split with another company they probably make closer to 55M.
You can make a case that Wrestlemania is a bigger entertainment event than anything in this country besides the superbowl and possibly the emmy awards. On cable it would shatter records and make a lot of people richer than they already are.
Freedom is a road seldom traveled by the multitudes...
Ya know...
…baseball owners back in the 20s thought radio would ruin attendance. They thought if people could sit at home and listen to the game for free no one would come to the stadium.
I know WWE already airs ‘free’ programming, but the added PPV eyeballs on the big four may encourage people to buy other WWE PPVs.
It doesn’t sound like a bad idea, just an experiment in business principles.
I'm Buck Melanoma. Moley Russell's wart. Not her wart. Not her wart! I'm... I'm the wart. She's my tumor. My... my growth. My... uh, my pimple. I'm Uncle Wart. Just old Buck "Wart" Russell. That's what they call me, or Melanoma Head. - Uncle Buck
by Andiamo Cuccioli on Sep 23, 2011 7:50 AM EDT via mobile up reply actions
Lets just do some simple math
Lets say wrestlemania sold 1M PPV buys at a cost of 54.95. That equals 54,950,000. Lets say the PPV company gets 60% of that figure. Now WWE is down to 22M add a live gate figure of 5M and you get to 27M total. Now after paying taxes and paying the talent, say you’re down to 14M. 14M out of 54M.
Usually there are 4 commercial breaks in an hour. But for hypothetical purposes we’ll say WWE will have 3 commercial breaks every hour over a four hour show. Let’s say WWE sells 750k per :30 second spot. That is 13.5 Million in commercial ad revenue. This is not counting the biggest revenue generating option they have which is selling the show internationally and to other affiliates that doesn’t carry WWE Network. That number could be astounding. They could conceivably charge hundreds of stations across the globe millions of dollars a piece to air wrestlemania. Since WWE would own that TV signal they now would control the lions share of the profits.
Vince McMahon would create a vehicle that could end PPV all together IF they are consistently successful.
Freedom is a road seldom traveled by the multitudes...
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