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WWE Network finally happening


flyonthewall2983

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They're probably in a better position now, as opposed to ten years ago, considering there's a more vast library of material they now own. Dipping their toes in the water with the On Demand service and the internet archive wasn't a bad idea either. My hope is that it's a premium channel, without commercial interruption. Otherwise, things like the PPV's would take up a huge chunk of the schedule.

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Personally it's not something i'd subscribe to just because i've got a trillion zillion unwatched shows in my collection as is so an entire channel based around 24/7 wrestling will do me no good but it's an awesome idea that I think will have a lot of success.

 

Glad they're finally pulling the trigger

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They're probably in a better position now, as opposed to ten years ago, considering there's a more vast library of material they now own. Dipping their toes in the water with the On Demand service and the internet archive wasn't a bad idea either. My hope is that it's a premium channel, without commercial interruption. Otherwise, things like the PPV's would take up a huge chunk of the schedule.

They were in better shape in 2000/2001:

 

* the WWF was at the height of its popularity

 

* the WWF was at the height of it's Wall Street credibility

 

* they were able to con Viacom and NBC into the XFL joint venture

 

They had enough content to launch the channel with their own programming. They really should have gone into the business of leveraging their deal with Viacom to get a channel, or use NBC's desire to partner with them to get a channel. Less channels at the time, and an easier time for a big partner like Viacom or NBC to muscle the providers to carry it.

 

It also would have saved them pissing all the XFL money away, and one could argue that it was around that stretch where the company started to lose its focus/mind.

 

None of those three things above are the case now.

 

I'd add in the point that back in those days the WWF also sold a chunk of the advertising for their progaming. At some point they transitioned that all over to the channels, and instead increased their rights fees. It's something of a catch-22, but if you're running your own network, someone needs to sell those ads. If it's a JV with a Viacom or NBC, you can have their opperations handle that, but you're also giving them a cut to handle it. If it were back in the day when the WWF was selling some of the advertising for Raw and/or SD, it would allow them to roll those into a package with the WWF Network, and have the internal manpower to handle it.

 

I'm not sure of the details of how they're setting up the new Network. Their next 10-Q or 10K might give some insight.

 

But all in all, I'm pretty confident they were in much better shape in 2000/2001 to due this than now. The only positive they have now over it is more content in hand. But they were always going to get more content.

 

John

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Hindsight being 20/20 and all, it was better than that they held off as long as they did. Not only do they have a much bigger library to work with now, but the name change in 2002 would have wrecked havoc with their programming, between muting all mentions of "WWF" and having to blur out scratch logos and everything.

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NFL Network launched in late 03. MLB Network didn't get going until 2009! I don't know if the market at the time could have supported a 24/7 WWE channel. Things have gone way more in the direction of on demand/niche programming, the cable tv landscape was way different back then.

 

This channel basically just seems like it will be a variation on WWE 24/7. I'm curious to see how much original programming and live events they put on it. Putting like NXT, Superstars, FCW and a monthly live event on it would go a long way towards attracting subscribers IMO

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I can't imagine it would be a premium channel otherwise why would it be any different than 24/7 where subscriptions have been dropping for a while now. It is unfortunate that a regular channel would have commercials but that's a reality we would have to deal with. I have no doubts they could make this thing work content wise and even advertiser wise (probably) but my concern would be getting companies to carry it. Unless they can somehow work a contractual deal where companies that carry the 24/7 have to carry it but not sure how that would work.

 

This is an interesting time to try it though since wrestling in general is about as cold as I've ever seen it among general public/former fans. You'd think anyone nostalgic enough to watch (ie the target audience) is already finding stuff for free on youtube or is a hardcore that has old footage like us. Neither of those groups is looking for yet another outlet for more footage (as Flik said). Anyone not in those core groups who is a former fan has LONG since moved on with life and might stop and watch for 10-15 min at a time if they are lucky.

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This isn't going to be a premium channel in the sense of HBO or Showtime where you need to pay an extra subscription price just for that channel. This is going to be a channel like the NFL Network where you need to have a higher channel package, possibly a sports package, that includes WWE Network.

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Bottom line with me, if they stick to the model of those two channels, they'll do fine. If they stray into non-wrestling programming, I think that's where it will have trouble.

I'm suspecting you'll see both, even though it'll be mainly the former compared to the latter just because of the size of their wrestling library. At the same time, there's no way they wouldn't take advantage of their own channel to show some WWE Films productions. I look forward to seeing the WWE Network launch with a running of The Marine.

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This isn't going to be a premium channel in the sense of HBO or Showtime where you need to pay an extra subscription price just for that channel. This is going to be a channel like the NFL Network where you need to have a higher channel package, possibly a sports package, that includes WWE Network.

Yup. Be interesting to see if they have an HD version or if they'll stick with only an SD version.

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Hindsight being 20/20 and all, it was better than that they held off as long as they did. Not only do they have a much bigger library to work with now, but the name change in 2002 would have wrecked havoc with their programming, between muting all mentions of "WWF" and having to blur out scratch logos and everything.

It's not hindsight. I suspect there are folks here who have heard me run this point into the ground for a decade. :) We were talking about it back when the XFL was pissing money away.

 

NFL Network launched in late 03. MLB Network didn't get going until 2009! I don't know if the market at the time could have supported a 24/7 WWE channel. Things have gone way more in the direction of on demand/niche programming, the cable tv landscape was way different back then.

Set aside the big boys of the NFL Network, MLB and NBA. Think even more niche:

 

Golf Channel: January 1995

Speed: January 1996

Fox Soccer Channel: November 1997

TVG Network: July 1999

Horse Racing TV: January 2003

GolTV: February 2003

Tennis Channel: May 2003

 

By 2003 with the Tennis Channel it should have been obvious, though you'd think with a Horse Racing channel popping up in 1999 that it would have been popping into the WWF's head.

 

That's not even getting into other non-sports niche channels that didn't have a pot to piss in. The WWF in 2000 was pulling in this:

 

6.4 3-Jan-00

6.8 10-Jan-00

6.0 17-Jan-00

6.7 24-Jan-00

6.6 31-Jan-00

6.5 7-Feb-00

4.4 14-Feb-00

5.9 21-Feb-00

6.5 28-Feb-00

6.4 6-Mar-00

6.3 13-Mar-00

6.2 20-Mar-00

6.6 27-Mar-00

 

That's just the first quarter of the year. That was the time to leverage, rather tha farting around with the XFL.

 

Then again, I think a lot of people at the time bought into the bullshit that the WWF could make a go of it with the XFL. Those were some pretty funny discussions/debates/arguments back when it was going on. :)

 

John

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Well one of the main reasons it has taken this long is that they are digitalizing their old stuff.

I tend to think that's an excuse.

 

Fox Soccer HD is a 720p high definition simulcast of Fox Soccer that launched in January 2010. On February 10, 2010, Fox Soccer HD became available on Dish Network. DirecTV added it on August 11, 2010. Verizon FIOS added Fox Soccer HD on April 14, 2011. Comcast started rolling out Fox Soccer HD in June, 2011 but to only a very few selected markets.

The WWE could have launched non-HD.

 

John

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I might have been one of the folks yelling. :P

 

It was strange: it was launched in Jan 2010, so I hoped to get it before the 2009/2010 season ended. Didn't happen. Then I hoped my TWC would pick it up before the 2010/2011 season *started* in Aug 2010. Didn't happen. I don't think we got it until the season *ended* in May 2011. :) It was always funny to be down at my Dad's and see FSC HD on his rinky dink cable system and not be able to see it on mine.

 

Anyway, things like MSNBC were slow in getting HD fully rolled out. I don't think our TWC system had it for very long before KO left the channel... maybe a year, or less. That means 2010ish.

 

It's also unlikely that a WWE Channel could have forced their way onto the HD section that many cable companies are slowly rolling out. I didn't get Comedy Central HD until the last year. Same with Spike. Those two have some major entertainment companies behind them.

 

So the key would have simply to get on years ago, roll out content, figure out "new" programing specific for the WWEC, and build an audience by integrating it smartly into Raw and SD! (which I don't think the WWE ever has smartly done with 24/7 or the web arm).

 

John

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This could be a lot of fun, I hope they would go back to a tri-branded formula with something like ECW, or even like superstars with more of a fixed roster, as a transition program for talent coming up. A lot of guys on he main roster debuted through ECW like Swagger, Bourne, Kofi, Sheamus and more and that seemed to have been more successful than NXT.

 

I really hope the Tuesday Night Titans stuff is at a minimum.

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