Want more wrestling news, rumors, and results? Be sure to visit PWInsider.com and PWInsiderXtra.com.
You can send us questions for the PWInsider.com Q and A at pwinsider@gmail.com.
It looks like WWE is preparing to pull out all the stops for it's Raw 25th anniversary simulcast. I expect lots of nostalgia and surprise appearances by WWE legends and Hall of Famers. Do you think this is a good opportunity to bring Hulk Hogan back into the fold? He has been in the doghouse for nearly two and a half years and this show seems like the logical time to welcome him back. What do you think? And if that is the night he returns, do you think it would be better to have him in Brooklyn or at the Manhattan Center?
I would have no problem with him returning then, provided that he is realistic about what his role would be. He’s 64 years old now after all. I think he could be in either place to be honest but I think it would be cool to have him in the smaller, more intimate event.
I would like to see that 30 for 30 show on Flair they have coming, but I don't know what channel it's on.
It will air on Tuesday, Nov. 7, at 10 p.m. ET on ESPN.
My business puts me fairly close to the world of SVOD networks, so I've watched the launches and growth of everything from Netflix and Hulu to niche offerings like Crackle, Crunchyroll, Seeso, etc. And don't get me wrong, WWE Network is still the fifth largest SVOD in the world behind the big three and MLB. But how has the sheer global fan base and availability of the network in almost every region that matters resulted in just 1.5 million subs? You would think China and India alone would provide such spikes, not to mention more hardcore fan bases like the UK and South America. It simply CAN'T just be creative and the price point versus value is off the charts compared to other SVODs or OTT services. Are we faced with the harder reality that there really are only a finite number of true fans of the product that are the same ones filling up buildings every time, tuning in on Mondays and Tuesdays and the ONLY ones that will subscribe?
When you consider that they only have about 400,000 subscribers outside of the US, yes it’s a pretty low number outside of the US. In some places, high speed internet isn’t universally available. But I think Creative is the reason there are less subscribers, for a few reasons. For one, now that TV Revenue is the main driver for the company, far more first run content is given away on TV. In the case of a lot of fans, Raw and Smackdown is enough for them. It is five hours or so of content. And to some, those shows are not compelling enough to spend for the Network. I look back to the first three hour Raw, which did over six million viewers. If that were the case today, they would probably have around twice as many subscribers if you just go off of the math.
I just read the Q & A letter from 11/1 from a reader who uses your site to keep up with WWE. No, the writer is not alone and the falling ratings & drop in house show attendance will bear witness to that. I have been a wrestling fan nearly all my life. I firmly remember the days where I would park myself in front of the TV at 6:05 to watch the Four Horsemen on TBS, and those times when I could catch Hulk Hogan in the WWF on USA or NBC. As a teen, I was a die hard WCW fan, even in the worst days of Raw under Russo. Now, I can barely stand to watch the product anymore. I subscribe to the network only for the old shows. I find watching a PPV from 1995 that I have seen 18 times to be far more thrilling than the live product being offered to me by the WWE. I guess the break between creative and the fans really getting that bad. I guess it is time for me to find out if New Japan World offers commentary for their shows in English.
It was interesting that this came in right after the question above. I think you explained very well why a lot of people don’t buy the WWE Network, even though you do.
Forgetting the backlash from Leo Rush's tweet about Emma being let go, how do you feel about WWE even tweeting that their superstars being let go in the first place? They labeled it as "Breaking News" and treated someone getting fired as an exclusive headline. I personally didn't think that was cool.
I see it as part of the business, especially with them being publicly traded. They need to make that information available to their shareholders.
You can send us questions for the PWInsider.com Q and A at pwinsider@gmail.com.
If you enjoy PWInsider.com you can check out the AD-FREE PWInsider Elite section, which features exclusive audio updates, news, our critically acclaimed podcasts, interviews and more by clicking here!
Bang On Casino
