Indy content to be removed from WWE Network and Peacock

[cjh]

www.wwenetworknews.com/2023/01/14/insane-championship-wrestling-shows-listed-to-expire-from-peacock-in-the-coming-week/

Could indie programming be leaving WWE Network and Peacock? For those unaware, World Wrestling Entertainment’s streaming platforms have been home to various indie programming for several years now including Insane Championship Wrestling, PROGRESS Wrestling, and wXw Wrestling. A new wrinkle has emerged that could mean one of these companies will no longer be working with the company.

As was first pointed out to us by email and in the comments section, ICW videos on Peacock are now listed to expire after five days, meaning the programs would no longer be available on the platform. Unfortunately, we can’t offer more details on this time.

There’s a chance that this is a technical issue of some kind and will be corrected before the videos expire. On the other hand, there’s a chance that they could leave Peacock and remain strictly on the WWE Network and ICW’s own streaming service. There is, however, the chance that WWE and ICW’s relationship is ending and the programming will no longer exist on both the Network and Peacock. We’ll be sure to make note if the content does end up disappearing.

EDIT 1/17:

[Deleted]

Do people watch this stuff?

I know some of these companies were hot before NXT UK kinda killed the momentum of the British scene, but I haven't heard anyone talk about these shows in years.

[eJm]

Jan 16, 2023 8:55:23 GMT -5 @therealoblivion said:

Do people watch this stuff?

I know some of these companies were hot before NXT UK kinda killed the momentum of the British scene, but I haven't heard anyone talk about these shows in years.

Like, there's occasional stuff here and there on my feed but not as much as their pre-WWE prime. And honestly, it's sad, it wasn't like I was mega following ICW but it really does feel like WWE got what they wanted from them and letting the deal expire.

On the flipside, though, this feels like a good time to promote a match next month here in Dublin where Fabio, Irish Junior Heavyweight champion (and longest reigning champion) takes on ICW World Champion Leyton Buzzard in a Title for Title match which I'm slightly biased in being excited about.

[Chris Hammers]

Jan 16, 2023 9:18:01 GMT -5 eJm said:

Jan 16, 2023 8:55:23 GMT -5 @therealoblivion said:

Do people watch this stuff?

I know some of these companies were hot before NXT UK kinda killed the momentum of the British scene, but I haven't heard anyone talk about these shows in years.

Like, there's occasional stuff here and there on my feed but not as much as their pre-WWE prime. And honestly, it's sad, it wasn't like I was mega following ICW but it really does feel like WWE got what they wanted from them and letting the deal expire.

On the flipside, though, this feels like a good time to promote a match next month here in Dublin where Fabio, Irish Junior Heavyweight champion (and longest reigning champion) takes on ICW World Champion Leyton Buzzard in a Title for Title match which I'm slightly biased in being excited about.

Uppa Fabio <3

[eJm]

Jan 16, 2023 11:01:18 GMT -5 Chris Hammers said:

Uppa Fabio <3

Trained with him for about a year or so, he’s one of the good ones for sure. Excited he’s getting bigger opportunities as of late.

[salz4life]

I was actually excited to see these smaller indies being added when they did..... and I've never actually watched them. It's still nice to have content so I hope something works out to have these shows stay on.

[Cyno]

Did they have any of Joe Hendry's stuff with the ICW content? I wonder if any of his song parodies got censored (even though they should be covered from any copyright infringement as they are parodies).

[chazraps]

Jan 16, 2023 19:01:38 GMT -5 Cyno said:

Did they have any of Joe Hendry's stuff with the ICW content? I wonder if any of his song parodies got censored (even though they should be covered from any copyright infringement as they are parodies).

Well, technically some of them may not fall under parody law. Parody is protected, but satire isn't - so unless the song can be pointed to in several different ways of being a direct parody of the original, it wouldn't count. Taking a melody and just write new wholly unrelated lyrics to it wouldn't be protected. That's why Weird Al's have so many direct ways that the vocal performances on his parodies do their best to emulate the original songs - so even when the subject matter differs it can still be pointed to as a direct parody of the original recording. Make sense?

[ANuclearError]

Jan 16, 2023 19:01:38 GMT -5 Cyno said:

Did they have any of Joe Hendry's stuff with the ICW content? I wonder if any of his song parodies got censored (even though they should be covered from any copyright infringement as they are parodies).

I think anything with him would have been post-heel turn where he stopped doing them. I don't recall them putting a lot of the archives up.

I used to be a dedicated ICW follower, until the pandemic & speaking out happened so I mostly stopped paying attention. I dunno how they're doing business/creative wise now, but they were definitely ina rebuild period back in late 2019/early 2020.

I expected Buzzard to have been picked up by a bigger platform by now, especially after Jack Morris took the NOAH opportunity by both hands and is doing well for himself. Jack Jester's started to go the Grado route and been doing panto & TV stuff recently as well I've noticed.

[eJm]

Probably cost cutting if true but also…pretty much got what they wanted from putting them up. Nabbed PROGRESS’ booker, a lot of the talent and none of the responsibility of SpeakingOut so…

[ANuclearError]

Jan 17, 2023 16:55:44 GMT -5 eJm said:

Probably cost cutting if true but also…pretty much got what they wanted from putting them up. Nabbed PROGRESS’ booker, a lot of the talent and none of the responsibility of SpeakingOut so…

Honestly it's almost impressive how this whole situation did a job softening up the scene for the pandemic & SpeakingOut to finish the job.

OTT over in Ireland definitely didn't get as bad a situation compared to ICW and PROGRESS on the whole.

[eJm]

Jan 17, 2023 17:03:15 GMT -5 ANuclearError said:

OTT over in Ireland definitely didn't get as bad a situation compared to ICW and PROGRESS on the whole.

Well, yes and no. OTT never entered into any agreements with WWE besides a mutual one but before the pandemic, there was a tag division basically ruled over by a tag team that couldn’t appear (Mustache Mountain), Toni Storm was announced and pulled so many times, it became a meme and then during the pandemic, we not only lost the champion because he was a knob (to put it lightly), the contender that was likely to take the belt from him then himself got accused and basically stuck to NXT UK before fleeing to Florida. And then there’s other nonsense but I’ve ranted too much for now.

So the talent and staff didn’t get hoovered up like PROGRESS and ICW did so they can say that but the Irish scene itself took a real hit mostly because of OTT’s inaction on things.

[ANuclearError]

Jan 17, 2023 17:15:57 GMT -5 eJm said:

Jan 17, 2023 17:03:15 GMT -5 ANuclearError said:

OTT over in Ireland definitely didn't get as bad a situation compared to ICW and PROGRESS on the whole.

Well, yes and no. OTT never entered into any agreements with WWE besides a mutual one but before the pandemic, there was a tag division basically ruled over by a tag team that couldn’t appear (Mustache Mountain), Toni Storm was announced and pulled so many times, it became a meme and then during the pandemic, we not only lost the champion because he was a knob (to put it lightly), the contender that was likely to take the belt from him then himself got accused and basically stuck to NXT UK before fleeing to Florida. And then there’s other nonsense but I’ve ranted too much for now.

So the talent and staff didn’t get hoovered up like PROGRESS and ICW did so they can say that but the Irish scene itself took a real hit mostly because of OTT’s inaction on things.

Ah I get you, I did see they were advertising Moxley, so I figured they weren't in a complete omnishambles like ICW & PROGRESS, guess they were just in a shambles.

[eJm]

Jan 17, 2023 17:31:53 GMT -5 ANuclearError said:

Jan 17, 2023 17:15:57 GMT -5 eJm said:

Well, yes and no. OTT never entered into any agreements with WWE besides a mutual one but before the pandemic, there was a tag division basically ruled over by a tag team that couldn’t appear (Mustache Mountain), Toni Storm was announced and pulled so many times, it became a meme and then during the pandemic, we not only lost the champion because he was a knob (to put it lightly), the contender that was likely to take the belt from him then himself got accused and basically stuck to NXT UK before fleeing to Florida. And then there’s other nonsense but I’ve ranted too much for now.

So the talent and staff didn’t get hoovered up like PROGRESS and ICW did so they can say that but the Irish scene itself took a real hit mostly because of OTT’s inaction on things.

Ah I get you, I did see they were advertising Moxley, so I figured they weren't in a complete omnishambles like ICW & PROGRESS, guess they were just in a shambles.

Shambles is the right word. They basically got Moxley because he owed them one after the Pandemic cancelled ScrapperMania which, I mean, fair enough considering.

[Doo Doo is a Ratings Expert]

Better not remove any Indi content.

[Xxcjb01xX [PIECE OF: SH-]]

So I guess the Indie content getting removed will end up on FITE and such, and certain promotions may stop becoming feeders or good will branches to WWE as a whole

Makes sense given what's happening, especially if there's a sale.

[WinOwensWin]

I never watched it on the network myself, but it just feels like a sign of Vince being back.

[cjh]

Jan 18, 2023 8:47:10 GMT -5 WinOwensWin said:

I never watched it on the network myself, but it just feels like a sign of Vince being back.

Why?  He would have been the one who approved it.  The Network has been showing these promotions since 2020.

[mattyy]

this just feels like more signs of a sale, and honestly its something I'm surprised made it to Peacock in the first place. They don't own these libraries, so why keep 'em around?

[eJm]

Jan 18, 2023 16:29:00 GMT -5 mattyy said:

this just feels like more signs of a sale, and honestly its something I'm surprised made it to Peacock in the first place. They don't own these libraries, so why keep 'em around?

Allegedly the deals included the ability to buy the companies themselves (and I use allegedly very loosely because I don’t think anyone confirmed the rumor) so in theory, they could buy them and have them as extra content.