Free Network Tier has launched

[Steveweiser]

FREE WWE NETWORK TIER QUIETLY LAUNCHES
by Mike Johnson @ 12:46 PM on 12/5/2019

The "free" WWE Network tier quietly launched this afternoon.

The free tier is available at watch.wwe.com but will only be shown if an active subscriber is logged out of their WWE Network subscription.

The free videos are appearing in the "recently added" carousel and are mostly made up of WWE YouTube videos. We are told that will change over time.

Other Carousels currently feature free WWE Network tier content including WWE Top Ten, NXT Highlights, Recent WWE Highlights, WWE Network Pick of the Week, Watch Full Matches and more.

This is a very early, unannounced rollout designed to beta test the free tier and find any potential issues with it before the company officially unveils its launch.

As PWInsider.com broke this morning, the free launch was scheduled for sometime in the next week. There had been plans to unveil the complete, tiered WWE Network (including a $14.99 premium tier that would include independent wrestling) around January 2020, but there is no word whether that is still the correct timetable for such a launch.

[Deleted]

So... essentially it's the YouTube channel.

[wildojinx]

They should look and see if HBO MAX (which will also be 14.99) is a success before trying to launch a $14.99 tier.

[TOK Hehe'd Around & Found Out]

Dec 5, 2019 18:13:52 GMT -5 wildojinx said:

They should look and see if HBO MAX (which will also be 14.99) is a success before trying to launch a $14.99 tier.

That tier is for the type that either already has or has considered a Highspots Network subscription.

[wildojinx]

If they're going to put youtube content on there, then does that mean they can throw "Are You Serious" on there at least?

[Pushed to the Moon]

I guess the idea is to lure you away from youtube and then get tempted by all the other content with padlock icons on that you can't watch without paying cos they're all mixed together and not in their own "free" section.

[repomark]

I am a bit confused by the £15 tier thus far in terms of what they have announced. I just can’t see Evolve and Progress footage being anywhere near enough to entice enough people to upgrade - so I suspect there must be more to it that they have yet to announce.

Old TNA matches and PPVs? Old ROH matches? I would like them to really push the boat out and buy every season of Lucha Underground but suspect that is massively unrealistic.

Putting things on there that are difficult to attain elsewhere would be a big selling point, but no idea how feasible any of this would be. It will take a lot more than has been implied so far to make me part with an extra fiver a month though.

[WR91]

Dec 27, 2019 20:04:52 GMT -5 repomark said:

Old TNA matches and PPVs? Old ROH matches?

TNA (Impact Wrestling) and ROH already have their own streaming service. So I doubt this will ever happen. Sad too because I'd be subscribed for life if this were the case!

[Deleted]

Feb 16, 2020 9:44:38 GMT -5 WR91 said:

Dec 27, 2019 20:04:52 GMT -5 repomark said:

Old TNA matches and PPVs? Old ROH matches?

TNA (Impact Wrestling) and ROH already have their own streaming service. So I doubt this will ever happen. Sad too because I'd be subscribed for life if this were the case!

Even though they have their own service, ROH has said in the past that they would be open to discussing being on WWE Network.

It probably didn't work out though, because they have recently been advertising big changes to their service, and saying their entire back catalogue is coming to it.

[Bang Bang Bart]

I think a small selection of "free events" available for a limited time (maybe old PPVs for the weekend of an upcoming show?) would be good for the Free tier.