…at some point in the future, anyway.
Well, the thing is that if they do get the network off the ground and they DO get, say, 2 million subscribers or as an outside dream 4 million, they'll be able to burn money instead of coal to heat Titan Towers and have enough left over to eat money sandwiches for work every day for the rest of their lives. WWE will literally be all profit and they can tell the PPV industry and eventually USA to go fuck themselves once and for all.
Of course, this assumes the network ever gets off the ground...
Now, obviously I give this network a 0.0001% chance of launching and an even slimmer chance of getting anything above the paltry 100,000 or so subs that the Classics on Demand channel has, but absolutely there is money here. I just don't think it's attainable. But hey, I know nothing about the TV industry outside of what I read, so maybe they can pull it off. I hope they do, because it would be pretty awesome to pay $13 a month and get all the PPVs and old Nitros and stuff.
Why are there so few subscriptions to classics on demand? Is it because people just say "ah fuck it I can find this on YouTube"?
ReplyDeleteIsn't it primarily part of a cable service, as in people with satellite services aren't offered the option to subscribe? With cable's skyrocketing prices, people have been jumping off that sinking ship for a while now. It's also a very niche market. How many people typically buy non-big 4 PPVs? Yeah, when you combine all of those factors 100,000 seems generous.
ReplyDeleteI've never even had access to Classics on Demand :-/
ReplyDeleteThe one thing about the network that will make me hesitant to get it is if it becomes basically a 24 hour version of Raw. WWE Network should be a slam dunk to program, but they always mange to screw up the simplest things.
ReplyDeleteyep. I don't want a whole load of recaps & revisionist footage (no choking...hrmm). Should be SUPER easy to program, like you said. Each weeknight at 6 p.m. ET, show Nitro, in order. Then show classic RAW at 8 p.m. Mondays, new episodes, of course. Then mix up the late hours with old events/programs from other promotions. Mondays can be NWA events (or even a replay *gasp* of RAW), Tuesdays can be a mix of ECW and/or AWA/USWA events, etc. These can play throughout the early hours of the morning. The mornings can be filled with old episodes of Superstars, Challenge, All-American Wrestling, Mania, Livewire, etc.
ReplyDeleteTuesday evenings can show TNT and Prime Time Wrestling after classic RAW. I'm sure they used to air Wednesday night shows SOMEWHERE. Thursday nights, best of *ahem* Thunder and whatever other programs they have. JCP & Memphis both have much from which to choose. Friday nights, work it like Monday nights, only with SmackDown. Saturday nights, you have WCW Saturday Night, Confidential, Access, Velocity, Jakked, Metal, Shotgun, Main Event--the possibilities are virtually limitless. Sundays are reserved for WWE PPV Events or whatever tickles their fancy.
If they'd do this, unblurred & unedited (hell, it *is* a premium service, it'd be well worth $13/month, in my opinion.
For Mondays, Start at 1 eastern. Show the very episode of Raw, and every following week, show them in order. From 2-7, a Monday Night Wars show. Nitro/Raw back to back starting when Nitro debuted in 95 and throughout the show, have the guys on roster or guys who were involved in a specific angle on that week's show back then comment on it.
ReplyDeleteFrom 7-8, A Raw countdown show. In kayfab, recap last week's show, preview tonight's show, that type of stuff. From 8-11, last week's Raw. From 11-12, a post show. And from midnight on, replay the Nitro/Raws from earlier in day.
As a former subscriber (former as in just got rid of it in the last week) I have to say that I didn't enjoy the content as much as some do. It just didn't update often enough for me. Also, its a lot of late 90's stuff. I loved the Attitude Era, but I'm more interested in stuff I've either never seen, ot was too young to appreciate.
ReplyDeleteThey recycled the same stuff on a fairly regular basis and the content just didn't turn over fast enough for me. You'd basically get one week of a show every two weeks. In the end, Interwebz + old VHS rips were better for me. I do miss seeing the old skool stuff that doesn't exist outside of the WWE vaults.
ReplyDeletePS: The editing was super annoying too, of course.
AGREED.
ReplyDeleteI could program WWE NETWORK 5 different ways in my sleep.
I'd do the first 2 times for free.
The scheduling possibilities are virtually endless. There's just so much they could use. And really, they'd only need maybe 8 hours of "new" content each day (so everything would air 3 times per day, giving everyone an opportunity to catch it).
ReplyDeleteHere's my dream lineup:
Monday - Live episode of Raw plus a 1-hour pre-show and a 1-hour post-show, similar to how ESPN handles Monday Night Football. Also include a condensed 1-hour version of the previous Raw before the pre-show.
Tuesday - The Monday Night Wars in chronological order. Start with only Raw until Nitro debuts, then air both in the correct order (i.e., if Nitro came on first that night, it airs first). When PPVs or special shows (like Clashes) come up, air them in place of Raw/Nitro. End series with the final Nitro/Raw matchup.
Wednesday - Classic episodes of JCP in chronological order. Include secondary shows, PPVs, and special shows in order.
Thursday - Classic episodes of 80s WWF in chronological order. Include secondary shows, PPVs, and special shows in order.
Throw in their own original shows (such as Roundtables), WCCW, AWA, ECW, Memphis, and whatever other libraries they own, old Coliseum videos, DVDs, and just random house shows, they could probably go years without repeating content.
I unplugged about 8 months ago and haven't looked back once. Cable is a GIGANTIC waste of money in the age of high speed Internet. The only thing I miss is HD sound (Internet streams are compressed to hell usually and sound is the first thing skimped on).
ReplyDeleteSATURDAYS 6:05PM
ReplyDeleteWCW SATURDAY NIGHT!
Non PPv sundays
ReplyDeleteEither show a crappy WWE movie or a CHV
It's one of the few jobs in this world that I'd do for free.
ReplyDeleteMost specialty networks don't even bother with 24 hours of programs so I'd be interested to see how they split things up. An 8 hour block run 3 hours a day? Endless highlight show loops at night a la ESPN?
ReplyDeleteShow the PPVs that the shows you air earlier in the week have been building to. That is my only complaint with Classics on Demand, they never show the payoffs.
ReplyDeleteFuck that, Im not that much of a mark.
ReplyDeleteThey charging 70 bucks for WM, i need to get in on some of that money.
Gas 4 dollars!
If they're smart they'll figure out a way to make this available for cable subscribers and non-subscribers via the Internet. I unplugged a few months ago and I'm NEVER going back. WWE could be the first to cater to this (hopefully) growing demographic by not kowtowing to Kabletown, etc. and making their service easily available to the unplugged as well.
ReplyDeleteThat makes way more sense. The WWE movis can be moved to Friday/Sat night
ReplyDeleteI'd pull a Hebner and sell merch out of the trunk of my car.
ReplyDeleteOr just never show them.
ReplyDeleteThat network launches, they are showing those movies.
ReplyDeleteAD NAUSEUM
And not make sure everyone sees the great acting of one The Miz?! Are you INSANE, man?!
ReplyDeleteAnd this is why I'll be hesitant to order it.
ReplyDeleteThat network debuts, they're probably more "entertainment" than "wrestling," I bet.
ReplyDeleteI OTOH will not be hesitant.
ReplyDeleteMy DVR will be chalk full of old programming.
*crosses fingers*
Im sure there will be a whole bunch of blunders but if they do away with ppv and launch this site, you have to give me content I want, or I cancel the subscription.
Im sure there will be original programming that will not have to do with wrestling and as an entertainment company i am willing to accept that.
But for the propensity of getting that old wrestling, ill just put that DVR on auto-pilot and sift through what I wanna see and fuck the rest.
I just said something to that effect down below, and I agree.
ReplyDeletebut for the wrestling they show, im willing to roll with it.
I subscribed once, but withdrew because a lot of the content I just wasn't interested in. You'd think how can they go wrong, but they aired a lot shows I wasn't interested in and you're only get like 8 hours of new content every two weeks, it just wasn't doing it for me.
ReplyDeleteThey do a great job with WWE Classics on Demand.
ReplyDeleteI love Classics. But this is going WWE Network, it won't strictly be classic programming. If it was, I'd get it in a heart beat.
ReplyDeleteShow independent or international shows that are currently running. Sort of like NXT but for very small indies or for foreign stuff like New Japan/AAA. If they do this correctly, they could do WWE International like what I think Shane McMahon wanted.
ReplyDeleteAlso, they could also do Ric Flair day/week/month or Hell in a Cell day/week/month. If Wrestlemania/Summerslam/Hell in a Cell is coming up, show a different Wrestlemania/Summerslam/Hell in a Cell each day beforehand.
I'd just rip off what HBO did with HBOGo. Charge x amount of dollars and open up your entire library. I rather pay 13 bucks a month to pick and choose what I want to watch.
ReplyDeleteI look forward to not buying a t-shirt from you at TNA house show in a few years, then.
ReplyDeleteI wish they would do that, but no way would they pay for the rights to that shit when only something like 10% (at most) of wrestling fans would watch it.
ReplyDeleteAAA's not gonna happen, what with it joining up with one of the new Comcast networks and the guys behind The Hub.
ReplyDeleteHopefully The American Males can win the tag titles this week.
ReplyDeleteI could definitely see them doing that, but more limited. I doubt they'd open up the whole library or anything close, they still want to sell DVDs. But they could do what HBO GO does for movies...the Network itself shows their TV shows/old episodes of Raw and Nitro, stuff like that, and in addition they release an app (which you can only use if you are a WWE Network subscriber) that will feature a strong selection of stuff. Essentially Classics on Demand but expanded.
ReplyDeleteHBOGo is AMAZING. And I would pay north of $13 if WWE opened up the proverbial vault and just said "Have at it, champ."
ReplyDeleteHell, they wouldn't even have to say "champ," they'd just have to make shit available.
I don't think it would affect dvd sales. I can go on HBOGo right now and watch season 2 of Game of Thrones, but that didn't stop me from buying it a few weeks ago on Blu Ray.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you, especially the way WWE does it (they're not releasing old shows on DVD, they're releasing collections of matches with a documentary usually), but I'm not sure WWE would agree.
ReplyDeleteAnd when they end up buying TNA we can finally get that Best of Sports.Entertainment.Xtreme DVD we've all been clamoring for.. #DISGRACELAND
ReplyDeleteThey sure do.. Anytime you can watch Don Muraco on TNT it's a win..
ReplyDeleteIf they put up WCW Saturday Night at 6:05 PM EST on the Network, I would pay triple subscription on principle.
ReplyDeleteExactly. With Classics On Demand, they aren't compelled to keep your attention since you've already chosen to watch, which means you probably aren't changing the channel.
ReplyDeleteWith a Network, they have to hold your attention to prevent you checking out what's on elsewhere. It's going to be tough to satisfy everybody with this network, but it shouldn't be terribly difficult to satisfy a sizable majority of subscribers, if you have a good blend of material. The trick is making sure you aren't recycling, say, Royal Rumble 1997 over and over again.
Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed the show. But I wound up canceling my subscription to Classics On Demand because they kept recycling much of the same material (I'm not talking about the Christmas 97 Raw, since that's pretty much wrestling's A Christmas Story, I mean the stuff that just keeps getting recycled without real rhyme or reason).
It took the NFL *10 years* to get their network on all of the US carriers. It pains me to say it, but WWE has *no* chance at making this shit work. None.
ReplyDeleteYes yes and yes. But could we get it unblurred and unfiltered? Please?
ReplyDeleteTheir shit has been unblurred for awhile now. They don't even bleep WWF either.
ReplyDeleteGoogle ads has placed a picture of someone getting slapped in the face with a fish above this post. I don't know why, but it seems strangely appropriate.
ReplyDeleteMe either. Fucking DirecTV...
ReplyDeleteI'd be down for a crappy WWE movie, only if I could see guys riff on it, the way CM Punk riffed on The Game Plan.
ReplyDeleteHe's going to wrestle Undertaker at WrestleMania you know.
ReplyDeleteThey couldn't get this network going and acquire two million subscribers (let along four) during the height of the Attitude era, so that makes it impossible during the PG-era.
ReplyDeleteThey'd have a hard time getting this network going with adults subscribing and children wanting it from their parents because it's "cool." How the hell are they supposed to do it with a product devoted to children? That's like saying they could launch a Power Rangers network.
If they let Jimmy Hart book new WCWSNs... Aw yeeeeeeeeah Muddahship!
ReplyDeleteOriginal content! Documentaries, interviews, live house shows... Aw yeah
ReplyDeleteHow dare you break our hearts by mentioning the long dreamed of Power Rangers Network!
ReplyDeleteMay the Dragonzord have mercy on your corrupt soul...
If they fix all of the blurring (not just the scratch logo), the music edits, and cease the censoring of objectionable content, they've got my money for the old stuff at least.
ReplyDeleteWon't happen, unfortunately. It'll just be the same as everything else. I can't see WWE making any exceptions to the rule.
ReplyDeleteI doubt WWE would ever give up on Raw. If all their content was behind a pay window, their potential to grow their audience would be limited. Probably will give them a bit more negotiating power with USA though.
ReplyDeleteTHE RENT IS TOO DAMN HIGH!
ReplyDeleteI'd definitely consider $13/month for a PPV and a decent collection of old stuff.
ReplyDeleteI wouldn't pay $0.13 for a bunch of reality show crap, or vehicles for their, uh, entertainers to show off their non wrestling "talents".
NFL Network was a standard channel though, having to worry about advertising rates and ratings numbers. If WWE is a paid subscription channel, it may not be as hard to get clearance because they are seeing a direct payment fee monthly, split between the carrier and WWE.
ReplyDeleteYeah I don't see Raw moving as long as they are a premium pay channel. Maybe the other shows, but they need to keep some presence on over the air cable.
ReplyDeleteMWT3K?
ReplyDeleteI think if you're wondering whether or not they'd screw up programming. I give you the Youtube channel as a blueprint for what they'd do.
ReplyDeleteUnless that whole thing was a larger sub-plot to kill Zack Ryder's career.
It'd all be "hilarious" interview shows.
My question is (assuming this goes off) how would they handle Benoit?
ReplyDeleteDo they edit any angle he was in, do they just remove that segment, do they play it as is. He was a big part of a fairly long period in history, so do they run shows he was in or not?
Just get classics on demand. It rules
ReplyDeletethey could sprinkle it in, but if they did that, people would cancel..
ReplyDeleteyou see how MTV turned out.
like seriously who watches mtv1?
So is Fantasy Programming better or worse than Fantasy Booking? ;)
ReplyDeleteEqually as pointless.
ReplyDelete