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[UPDATED] DAVID MCLANE IN WWE HOF?, FLOSLAM GOING TO $30 A MONTH, MEETING WRESTLERS AND MORE

By Mike Johnson on 2017-05-27 10:00:00

NOTE: I accidentally posted the first draft of my responses, including several typos.  My apologies.

So, I was a FloSlam subscriber over Wrestlemania week and decided not to keep the service since they had initially promised on social media that they would have the complete EVOLVE catalog and never posted it and they would do things like announcing a new promotion as their partner and then it would turn out that promotion only had one show or so before being done.  I was going to sign up this weekend to watch the recent Lucha Forever and House of Hardcore shows and I was stunned to see the service was now $30 a month, three times that of the WWE Network.  Can anyone explain to me why they raised their rates and why someone would want to pay triple what WWE offers to watch indy wrestling (even good indy wrestling) with poor lightning in tiny buildings?

Wow, I thought you were kidding, but they really did raise the rates $10 a month without even announcing it in advance!  That is a business move I cannot even fathom.

So, I can't explain why they raised their rates, but it's pretty obvious that despite some touting the service as being this major industry-changing service, all Floslam was good for was getting WWNLive a really great payday to produce content for them, since they were the first to make a deal with that company.  Beyond that, you got me.

Raising the price by 50% when they are already charging more than double of the industry leader looks, to those on the outside, as if Floslam are desperate to create cash and that's a shame, but in my opinion, so has been a lot of what Floslam has done since it was launched.

They've had a pretty haphazard rollout, whether it be the complete absence of any sort of promotion or marketing plan for the service (we have never received ONE press release for the service, think about that), the fact that the staffer in charge was fired almost immediately after launch, the lack of promises kept (such as the rollout of old material, as you pointed out), the fact that VOD versions of the shows include things like dead air from the live broadcasts, etc.   

Personally I watch Floslam via Roku and own several different Roku devices.  Each one would see the content crash when I played live streams and sometimes, even VOD content.  I finally had to give up and buy a new Roku Express in order to have the service work for me.  Now, watching wrestling is my job, so it's an expenditure and I can't complain about that, but imagine if you are a fan who had paid $20 or $30 OR $150 and this keeps happening to you?   A consumer should not have to upgrade their devices in order to get the content they are paying you for.   Plus, it's not like they have alternatives ways (beyond a computer) they can receive the content, because Floslam isn't on a Firestick or a PS4 or any other platform (beyond AppleTV) as of this writing. 

Then, you get to the actual Floslam interface (at least on Roku) and it's near impossible to figure out where the shows are, since they are listed as "episodes" and aren't listed in any chronological order.  If I wanted to watch every EVOLVE, I'd have to try and figure out where the hell EVOLVE is to begin with.  It's easy to find the content that is live but beyond that, you have to search like you are Pitfall Harry in the jungle seeking treasure to find the shows you want to watch.   I get that's an old reference to an Atari 2600 game, but that's sort of my point - In 2017, it shouldn't be that hard, especially when you are paying for the service!

I think they rushed Floslam to market with no real plan as to how they were going to present it or push it to consumers and assumed, wrongly, that wrestling fans would flock to it just because it existed. They also launched without having any real deals in place, which at the best, was a dumb idea and at worse, may have crippled it right out of the gates.  It was the equivalent of launching a jet before you figured out how to build the landing gear.  It's out there, it's in the air and uh oh, now what?

A lot of Floslam's launch was hyped up by people who had the best of intentions but in many cases were snowed by the potential of what it could be in a perfect world as opposed to what it really was at launch.   I would like to tell you I am surprised by all of this, but I really am not, and this is why.   

When they first launched, someone from the service came to me looking to hire me away from PWInsider.com, asking about my interest in running the Floslam service but couldn't (or wouldn't) tell me what the potential salary or responsibilities would be.   Right there, my gut was this was not going to be anywhere close to the force some were deluding themselves into believing Floslam was going to be.  It seemed far too disorganized and to this day, I have no idea why they even approached me, since no one ever followed up with me.    Like I said, haphazard.

There's been lots of stories of indy promotions being approached and after hearing stories, correct or not, about the big payday WWN got, they were surprised at how small the offer was and opted not to take it, considering that promotions like ROH won't allow their talent to work for groups that are on Floslam.  

So, it's great indy promotions on Floslam have that platform and hopefully they are getting a nice check for it, but unless Floslam gets their act in order, it's going to be more of the same, and raising the rates to bleed the consumers you want to support you is not the answer.   They really need to look at the mistakes they have made, correct them and try to win consumers over by building a better mousetrap.  I don't see that as easily happening either, not when you have WWE Network, Highspots Wrestling Network and a slew of indy promotions with their own VOD services, all of which charge a third of what Floslam now charges and in the case of WWE and Highspots (and perhaps others), provide far more content than Floslam currently does.  

When does WWE decide who's going to be marketed on their PPV posters, videogames, etc.  How far in advance is that done?

A least a few months in advance for promotional material.  In the case of the videogames, that material is decided 6-8 months in advance.  I'd be shocked if the commercials for the videogame aren't already filmed.  Those campaigns are planned out meticulously.

I am bringing my children to the next WWE event in New Mexico.  What's the best way to meet the wrestlers?

I would watch out for locally advertised signings with the talents.  Meeting them at the events is not likely to happen.  You would be looking at a lot of standing around hoping to catch talents as they come in or out of the venue with no real chance of them being able to stop because they'd likely get mobbed by everyone who wants the same thing you do.

How did Jim Cornette and Eric Bischoff get along when filming material for WWE?

We didn't hear about a fistfight, so my guess is they were fine!

Any chance of David McLane going in the WWE Hall of Fame?  He is the one who launched the women's revolution when you think about it!

I think that is an offbeat idea and McLane is surely worthy of being honored for bringing GLOW to the table and deserves credit for being the first person with a vision, although different from today's "women's revolution" for putting a women's show on TV nationally via syndication, but I don't see WWE as being the ones to do it.  

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