In February 2014, WWE (World Wrestling Entertainment) Network was released. This network was supposed to be milestone in pro wrestling and technology. It’s proving to be anything but.
This network guaranteed monthly pay-per-views at under ten dollars. This didn’t sit very well with cable providers, and apparently, with many fans. Then there was a renewal deal with NBC Universal, in which WWE got far less than expected, probably due to mediocre ratings.? Early this week, WWE owner Vince McMahon lost $350 million dollars, and their stocks were nearly cut in half…in a 24 hour period! Some say the WWE Network shouldn’t have been released at all. Now WWE execs are playing blame games: Vince wants to cut people out, and there are some who want Vince out.
I think the WWE Network shouldn’t have taken off without considerably more planning. It’s great to bring retro programming and low cost pay-per-view events, but do the ends justify the means? And the root problem has little to do with technology or business deals. It has much to do with content. I’ve heard many, many complaints about WWE story lines being awful and repetitive. Losing three of the top draws, CM Punk, AJ Lee and Daniel Bryan to injuries or walking out due to company disputes, isn’t helping. I think WWE should pull the plug on WWE Network immediately and the pay-per-view situation should go back to the way it was. And I can’t stress content and good stories enough. That’s what made WWE great in the 1980s. That’s what made it great in the late 1990s. Back then, you had larger than life characters telling amazing stories week after week. And they often pushed the envelope and boundaries, which gave us even more reasons to watch. It’s very different now. What will it take to get WWE back to it’s glory days? Or is it too late?