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WWE TOYING WITH MAJOR CHANGE TO THEIR LANDSCAPE BY MOVING TOP PPVS, INCLUDING WRESTLEMANIA, TO PLANNED NETWORK

WWE issued a survey about their planned WWE Network launch in 2012 to select fans on their mailing list yesterday. Based on the following verbiage from the survey, one of the plans on board for the network (and this can ALWAYS change) is to move major WWE PPV events to the Network, where they would air, including Wrestlemania.

Yes, Wrestlemania.

The verbiage from the survey, which also features a number of other potential WWE network programming choices, reads:

"Imagine a 24-hour cable network that was run by The WWE. It featured a mix of WWE-made programs, including new shows, repeats of Raw and SmackDown from USA and Syfy and "classic" or "historical" programs featuring shows from different promotions like classic WWE footage, WCW, ECW, NWA, AWA, etc. from years past.

It would have two new weekly WWE live in-ring shows (wrestling), but not SmackDown or Raw.

It would have a daily live in-studio viewer interactive show similar to SportsCenter.

Additionally, this network would include WWE's "classic big 4" pay-per-view events including WrestleMania, SummerSlam, Survivor Series and Royal Rumble to the lineup at no additional cost. Rather than having to pay for them, they would now be specials with the same match quality you're used to seeing on pay-per-view for no additional cost. These 4 events would only be available on The WWE Network.

In addition to The WWE Network, you would receive approximately 30 additional channels including NFL Network, NBA TV, Biography Channel, Fox Business Network and Fuel TV.

How interested would you be in upgrading your service for an additional $7-$12 per month to a tier which would include the WWE Network described above?"

Based on the verbiage, even if the plans don't come to fruition, it's obvious how much importance WWE is putting behind the Network launch. You don't consider taking the biggest money making event in your calendar off PPV and move it to a network (albeit a pay-per-view network) unless you want to do everything in your power to make a splash and show the power of the WWE brand. Such a move of even a few of the major PPV events, much less ALL of the major events would create a massive change in the revenue stream of the company. Such a drastic move will change the direction of the company, forever, to one that creates, owns and distributes their own content, as opposed to one that provides that content for broadcast partners. It's a bold move.

We have a lot more exclusive details on the network, including some of the potential concepts for series on the network that have been tossed out in the last few weeks. For more, subscribe to the PWInsider Elite section, which also features hours of audio content daily and in the last several days, has featured exclusive interviews with Jim Cornette, Cliff "Domino" Compton, Pat Tanaka, ROH COO Joe Koff, Les Thatcher, UWF owner Steve Karel, Rasche Brown and more.

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