10 Huge Mistakes WWE Have Made With The WWE Network
9. Going Live
No longer promoting pay-per-views as the one-off purchases they used to be, WWE adjusted their model significantly with the birth of the Network by guaranteeing each subscriber at least one monthly supercard, then increasing that output following the 2016 Draft.
Arguments of creative overkill are normally silenced by the apparent need to super-serve, but the organisation have perhaps overlooked a more nuanced way to introduce original content.
With live specials such as 'The Beast In The East', the original 'Roadblock' and the UK Championship Tournament, WWE were able to present first-time extravaganzas that strayed from the traditional sights, sounds and stagnation of the weekly television churn. Each broadcast represented something that genuinely felt like a rewarding reason to subscribe and a pleasant distraction from Raw and SmackDown's seasonal lethargy.
It's perhaps why NXT TakeOvers remain wildly popular despite a notable downturn in interest for the weekly show. The cards represent an escape from the monolithic WWE, and largely deliver at least one excellent match to boot. Part of that perception is wrapped within the company's attitude towards the cards being at least a little different, and it's an avenue they should explore far more often than they do.