What's holding back the Network?

[schma]

One thing the Network is great for is actually making use of the huge video library they've amassed. They're actually managing to monetize it somewhat. However, it seems they're not monetizing it as much as they'd like.

[Jonathan Michaels]

Perhaps a way to search for and watch individual matches?

[chazzbusby]

Honestly? For a service not even a year old, it performs remarkably well and the content is huge. There are things to improve but that's always going to be the case with anything in the early stages of growth. WWE are good at production, we know that.

I think the only reason for the negativity around the network is Vince McMahon. Why couldn't he just have been modest for once and gone public with an achievable figure for subscriptions to begin with? The network's figures are something to be pleased with in my opinion, it's a huge achievement to have such a large number in the early stages but because of Vince's magic million boasts it'll always just appear to have been a failure so far.

[Push R Truth]

I think it's as simple as over-estimating the amount of people willing to pay a little extra to watch more wrestling.


I'll admit, my only reason for the network was to watch PPV's cheaper than ordering them. I watch a little here and there. Saw all of Legends House and the occasional Countdown. That's about it. And I'm a pretty hardcore fan I've been told.

[James Fabiano]

Triple H, duh.

/BURIED!

[Can you afford to pay me, Gah]

It's interesting too me how people went and said this network was going to end the PPV era and that other companies would end that. 9.99 is a great price but if you had to drop 60.00 up front or the cancelling it is a pain can be a turn away. The other main problem is live PPVs not streaming smoothly for everyone like they did on TV. They expected too much from it when really some places don't have the high speed internet available too run it or that said person can't afford to spend the extra to increase the said speeds.

The WWE had this mindset that every fan in the world is going to buy it and or has access to it.

[joeiscool]

I actually wouldn't mind an new ECW revival.

[Boo!]

Sept 29, 2014 12:23:37 GMT -5 joeiscool said:

I actually wouldn't mind an new ECW revival.

If they had the balls they'd give Heyman a two hour slot one night of the week and say "you have total creative control and you can recruit your own roster and have it is a stand-alone show"

If they had the balls they'd give someone from WCW (possible Bischoff) and give him a two hour timeslot one night a week and say "you can have total creative control and you can recruit your own roster and have it promoted as a stand-alone show"

..but they won't. The closest they'd EVER get is to float the idea and then as soon as Heyman/Bischoff open their mouths to inform them of their first idea they'd panic and insist Kevin Dunn do it all. Yet if they didn't and they had the grapefruits they could really make something truly great of the Network. Unfortunately it's just to promote the PPVs. 

WWE Network could be an umbrella channel for different 'brands' of wrestling and have fans of each all paying McMahon for the privilege. You could have each of the three brands have their own PPVs so not only do you get one PPV a month for $9.99, you'd get three!!! With them only coming together maybe for WM.

[Jiren]

I'd like to see a "Year" option, Currently i'm going through WCW 1992 and i'd like to see ALL shows from 1992 in date order (That includes PPV/Clash & Later when I reach 95 Nitro). It can get a bit annoying when I can't remember when the clashes were.

I know you can do it with PPV's......well not on PS3, which is odd

[Deleted]

Because it's just...wrestling. Shit gets old. In fact, the Network makes me enjoy the current product less, because the older stuff exposes a lot of flaws in today's presentation of wrestling. And on top of that, watching more extra stuff on the side tends to burn me out.

[DjZonk]

They need a hotter current product. The Network would be booming if it were around during peak periods.

Close thread

[Bub (BLM)]

There isn't nearly enough new, original content. It's mostly just old PPVs and old documentaries that people have already seen. If they had more stuff like the Shield and Daniel Bryan documentaries, Countdown, and The Monday Night Wars, it'd be far more worthwhile. There are some nights when I turn on the Network, check to see if there's any new original content, and then shut it off when I don't find any.

["Gizzark" Mike Wronglevenay]

1. Content. It should be everything. And I do mean everything. Sure, bleep out any praise of Benoit or whatever, and place a warning on, but it should be everything. You own everything. So give us everything. AWA, WCCW, ECW, WCW, whatever the f*** it is, you own it and you should give it to us, even if you have to wait 24 hours or so until after a live show.

2. Taking forever to roll it out anywhere other than the USA, showing again a contempt for international fans who are rabid for their product and would happily buy something like this.

[Boo!]

They should release complete TV tapings from way back when. The 30+ taped matches from one show. We know some were filmed for Superstars, others for Prime Time, others for Challenge, SNME, home video etc - but we don't care that they'll each show will have three or four different sets of commentators. Put them up as 'Live Event [DATE/LOCATION] and let us see them.

They also need to upload ALL old TV shows complete; Prime Time, Superstars, Challenge, AAW, Thunder, Nitro, Mania etc, not to mention Raw and Smackdown. I don't see the 'holding back content' argument. Surely every month there'll be new content on there. 12 PPVs a year. More if they start to film two live events a week and document the European/World tours.

Also get a reputable (and knowledgeable) outside journalist to do a no holds barred hour-long non-kayfabe interview with the big names. Hogan, Vince, Austin etc. Make it a weekly thing. Make it controversial. Go TV 13 after 9pm.

[Hit Girl]

The new stuff isn't good enough, and you can already watch the bulk of it on TV

The older archival stuff appeals mainly to an audience who have already seen it, in context, and left the WWE fanbase ages ago to watch UFC.

[schma]

Clearly what they need to do for the network is get Ready to Rumble. Yes it stars WCW people and WWE loves crapping on anything WCW but really that movie was gold (at least it was 14 years ago when I watched it). They totally need to get that movie on the network. Hell they could try to gather the various movies that wrestlers have been in (some would be tougher though like Predator).

[Boo!]

Weekly outtakes videos. Promo bloopers, commentary fluffs, in-ring botches etc from over the years

[The Dark Order Inferno]

The WWE is built around Raw and it's on TV for free, everything else is secondary to that. They don't make the premium events seem important enough to be worth paying for as eyes on screen for Raw is all that matters, which is absurd as the focus should be on the paying customers, heck, just look at how they go out of their way to ignore or work against the live crowds, training wrestlers to do everything they do for the benefit of the cameras only from day one.

[Deleted]

Save for the new stuff, they don't get all crazy with archived programming until it's close to a "big PPV" or a subscription window closing in. They haven't added anything resembling newer Old School, WCCW or ECW for months.

This, a company that boasts of being "the longest running episodic television program ever", can't figure out how to add these shows by week; but when it comes time for people to decide whether to renew subscriptions, they manage to find a way to add 100 hours of Nitro.

Therein lies the flaw. It's obviously a Vince McMahon decision. He gets bored with something, it's just...there.

[Slingshot Suplay]

there's just not enough demand for wrestling now.