WWE Network Thread

jaykhunter · 09-04-2014 01:08AM

Rovert posted this back on the 29th. No definitive date but it's coming:

According to the WWE Network Help Page here's a list of stuff coming soon to the Network.

Original Programs
The Monday Night War
WWE Total Divas
WWE Rivalries

Vault
Clash of the Champions
Saturday Morning Slam
Rock n' Wrestling (tentative)
Saturday Night's Main Event
WCW Nitro
Vault Specials

Also Legend's House starting on the 17th

rovert · 09-04-2014 08:40AM

The Daniel Bryan special on the WWE Network is meant to be pretty awesome. Has ROH footage and the whole deal.

Lord TSC · 09-04-2014 08:55AM

Provided I can keep the cost down below 20 quid, it's still cheaper than ordering PPVs individually.

A Primal Nut · 09-04-2014 09:09AM

Was thinking, one positive thing about the network number is that the PPV buyrates might not be as low as people expected. Various demographics still prefer to order on their tv than go for an online service. That may be what's happening and it might be that PPV and the network live side-by-side for a while, which wouldn't be a bad thing.

The Ayatolla · 09-04-2014 09:32AM

The figure of over 1 million subscribers to break even, thats if they get ZERO PPV buys, right?

I suspect they'll still do 300-500,000 buys for Mania.

The international market has barely been breached. Once they launch the service for each country with easy sign-up, it's good to go. I have 5 friends who wouldn't sign up because they haven't a clue what a DNS is and thought it might make them susceptible to viruses!

rovert · 09-04-2014 12:11PM

Hearing great things about The Shield vs The Wyatts from Main Event last night:

Makes a change from Alberto Del Rio vs R-Truth or whatever.

gerrybbadd · 09-04-2014 12:17PM

rovert wrote: »

The Daniel Bryan special on the WWE Network is meant to be pretty awesome. Has ROH footage and the whole deal.

Brilliant, I must add this to my much watch list!

09-04-2014 12:39PM

rovert wrote: »

The Daniel Bryan special on the WWE Network is meant to be pretty awesome. Has ROH footage and the whole deal.

Ye it's great. Also his sacking is discussed and they show the footage of the choke on Justin Roberts.

09-04-2014 03:48PM

The new countdown episode - "infamous gimmicks" is great as well!

I thought before watching it, it was called worst gimmicks. When I saw Doink on the list I thought it was ridiculous. Watching the first year of raws on the network, the evil Doink is awesome. But it was only after that I read the title of the countdown.

Ape Lincoln · 09-04-2014 03:58PM

Shield/Wyatts match was very good indeed. Not as good as the previous two and there were some similar spots but it's still the 6 of them beating the pi*s out of each other. Ambrose was selling a rib injury during an in ring promo with Renee Young afterwards and people were wondering if it was legit.

Bryan documentary was excellent.

lucast2007us · 09-04-2014 04:55PM

Just been watching wrestlemania 6 today of all days! Rest in peace you true legend!

lucast2007us · 09-04-2014 05:29PM

Just been watching wrestlemania 6 today of all days! Rest in peace you true legend!

lucast2007us · 09-04-2014 05:29PM

Just been watching wrestlemania 6 today of all days! Rest in peace you true legend!

D.Q · 09-04-2014 06:01PM

Just watched it there, great doc. I like to mentally tick off what makes the network worth the subscription for another month or whatever, that's definitely worth another 7.99. Fantastic watch, very interesting. Seems like a top man.

Ape Lincoln · 09-04-2014 10:35PM

Very comprehensive analysis of the Network numbers here - http://whatculture.com/wwe/667287-subscribers-mean-wwe-network.php

But what’s the hook going forward? And this point, it seems that WWE has pretty much reached most of the core households that are interested in checking out the WWE Network.

...

WWE is also planning the significant international launch of the WWE Network in the Phase II countries: UK, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, Hong Kong and the Nordics. Timing hasn’t been announced beyond the vague “end of 2014/early 2015”. The break-even scenario for this launch (international WWE Network) is an additional 250,000 annual subscribers. Knowing that a percentage of the international hardcore fans “snuck in” to the US WWE Network launch, will we see a tepid rollout? (Two independent launch day surveys suggested that above 10% of first-day WWE Network signups may have come from non-US customers.) While the total number of non-US customers using the domestic WWE Network is likely a small percentage (probably between 1%-5%), it’s still likely to impact international growth since those customers represent the most hardcore and technologically sophisticated fans. Right now, those international fans are prematurely subsidizing the US launch.

After reading that I'd say either Mania not being included next year and/or a price hike is almost inevitable.

Tramps Like Us · 09-04-2014 11:35PM

I imagine a lot of people were waiting to see if it could handle streaming mania.

The Ayatolla · 09-04-2014 11:40PM

I reckon so too. People generally don't have a lot of confidence in watching live TV when they hear the word "stream" or "watch it on your laptop"

Ape Lincoln · 10-04-2014 12:42AM

Tramps Like Us wrote: »

I imagine a lot of people were waiting to see if it could handle streaming mania.

As your man said in the piece, the 667k number has come out in a vaccum. 600k Pay-per-view buys would be average for Wrestlemania so it depends on how many traditional buys Mania got. If they have 600k Network subs plus a half million PPVs buys it's happy days but if they only get 50,000 PPVs buys with the 600k Network subs then it's not so good.

There's a lot of things going with it - there is a lot of wrestling on cable television, WWE Network is a streaming service over the internet but it's called "Network" a la a traditional TV network leading to confusion, the plugs on TV for the Network are on phones and tablets not televisions. Apprehension over whether or not the Network could handle streaming I guess could have been an issue.

A Rogue Hobo · 10-04-2014 03:49AM

I think what a lot of people are ignoring is how good of a job WWE is doing with this so far. 2 months (less?) in they are approaching break even point and it's pretty clear judging by the excellent Daniel Bryan documentary that they are very aware that the success of the likes of Netflix and so on is original programming.

The Ayatolla · 10-04-2014 07:08AM

I fully expect there to be well over 350k PPV buys worldwide

Basing this on:

1. The people who buy one PPV a year.
2. People who have the network and were afraid of Mania crashing so bought the PPV.
3. People who didn't trust the network stream so bought the PPV.
4. Your average joe who will never subscribe to the network.
5. International buys, the savvy folk that sneak in to get the network isn't nearly as much as people think.

Loughc · 10-04-2014 07:58AM

A Rogue Hobo wrote: »

I think what a lot of people are ignoring is how good of a job WWE is doing with this so far. 2 months (less?) in they are approaching break even point and it's pretty clear judging by the excellent Daniel Bryan documentary that they are very aware that the success of the likes of Netflix and so on is original programming.

Agreed! I have been very impressed with the network to date I really hope it picks up more subs or we could be seeing cuts in original programming already!

Jerichoholic · 10-04-2014 04:40PM

If Sky have a block on PPV's when the UK and Ireland version launches, they wont do very well at all.

A Primal Nut · 10-04-2014 06:52PM

They just signed a new deal with Sky which comes into affect the beginning of 2015, where all PPVs move to Sky Box Office for first time. This seems to much of a co-incidence given the network will come into affect in the UK around the same time.

It makes me think WWE don't want any of the PPV on standard Sky Sports as that would discourage network subscriptions; so they forced Sky to move all to PPV. If that's the case I assume they would have made sure that the PPV deal wouldn't be exclusive, and Sky would probably be ok with that as it compete with Sky Sports, which is what they really care about.

That's what I'm hoping for.

Ape Lincoln · 10-04-2014 06:59PM

Jerichoholic wrote: »

If Sky have a block on PPV's when the UK and Ireland version launches, they wont do very well at all.

There's also Canada and Australia to consider wrt WWE's international pay-per-view buys (now "special events")

The Ayatolla · 10-04-2014 08:07PM

Sky also paid WWE triple the amount of what they paid in the last deal.

They'll be looking to recoup as much as they can through Box Office sales.

It's a two fold thing , more network subs increases interest in current weekly programming and vice versa. One benefits the other in so many indirect ways.

gerrybbadd · 10-04-2014 08:34PM

Anyone having issues with the network on ps4?

Never mind! Unblock US issue

Itssoeasy · 10-04-2014 09:34PM

I've just seen the miss rumble contest from 2000 and hadn't seen it in years.

Jesus Mae young. Just Jesus stop.

Ape Lincoln · 10-04-2014 10:41PM

Is it just me or has the Daniel Bryan documentary disappeared off the network?

ayatollah · 10-04-2014 10:56PM

Ape Lincoln wrote: »

Is it just me or has the Daniel Bryan documentary disappeared off the network?

there's a daniel bryan documentary??

Ape Lincoln · 10-04-2014 11:01PM

ayatollah wrote: »

there's a daniel bryan documentary??

Aye. It's called Journey to Wrestlemania 30. It streamed on Tuesday I think. It was in the on demand section under shows -> originals -> original specials but it's gone now, well gone on ps3 anyway. It's scheduled to stream again on Saturday.

WWE Network Thread

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