The World of Streaming is taking over media across the globe. Millions of people are ‘cutting the cord’ and ditching cable for streaming services like Netflix, Disney+, Hulu, and many more. It is so diverse, that there are now niche style services, like the WWE Network. The WWE Network has been the home for Sports Entertainment, with tons of historical archives, original programming, and where fans can watch PPV events like the Royal Rumble and WrestleMania live. But, this may be changing, as Vince McMahon has commented on possibly selling off the PPV’s to another major streaming service.
In Thursday’s investor’s call, McMahon mentioned the possibility of selling off the PPV’s.
“We also have an option right now, there’s no more better time to exercise the selling of our rights to all the majors who, quite frankly, all the majors are really clamoring for our content. So that could be a significant increase, obviously, in terms of revenue.”
This could be a reaction to a recent drop in subscribers to the Network. There has also been talk of a tiered subscription model, which would possibly keep the PPV’s on the Network, but for a higher cost. This may feel like a good move for the company financially, but it could drive fans away even harder. One of the biggest selling points of Network is getting the PPV’s each month for just $10, along with all of the other content, versus buying them individually each month for $60 without the extras.
The WWE has been going through quite a bit of turmoil recently. They unceremoniously fired two of their company heads, causing their stock to plummet and for the McMahon to lose billions in one day. Their most recent video game release, WWE2K20 was a huge disaster, many wrestlers are asking for their releases to work elsewhere. And, the new competition, AEW, is still beating them in the Wednesday ratings. So, the future looks a little bleak, but the mogul that is WWE will survive.
Would you cancel your WWE Network if they lose PPV’s? Let us know in the comments below!