10 Major Flaws With WWE's Current Pay-Per-View Model

8. Giving WrestleMania Away

Jinder Mahal WWE title
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WWE love dishing out free Network trials. Those who cancel their subscriptions are often enticed back to the platform with the promise of a couple of free months, and issuing these rewards has become an annual tradition on the road to WrestleMania.

The past two years have seen WWE allow new customers the chance to watch their biggest show of the year completely free. This predictably results in a significant spike in Network subscriptions in Q2, but retention rates are poor, and the numbers inevitably slide when the bulk of these free viewers decide they don’t want to pay $9.99 a month.

This model may attract more eyes to ‘Mania, but it doesn’t make a whole lot of sense outside of boosting that specific metric. ‘The Showcase Of The Immortals’ is WWE’s crown jewel. If any show is worth paying for, it should be the biggest event of the year, and in theory, WWE ought to be going all-out to earn as much money from the show as possible.

Instead, they give it away, which seems like a huge waste of potential revenue. Sure, it allows more people to experience WrestleMania, but what’s the point if they don’t stick around afterwards?

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Channel Manager

Andy has been with WhatCulture for six years and is currently WhatCulture's Senior Wrestling Reporter. A writer, presenter, and editor with 10+ years of experience in online media, he has been a sponge for all wrestling knowledge since playing an old Royal Rumble 1992 VHS to ruin in his childhood. Having previously worked for Bleacher Report, Andy specialises in short and long-form writing, video presenting, voiceover acting, and editing, all characterised by expert wrestling knowledge and commentary. Andy is as much a fan of 1985 Jim Crockett Promotions as he is present-day AEW and WWE - just don't make him choose between the two.