Actually, I dont really want to touch this one, but it has to be mentioned (at least briefly). The WWE Network was (and is) a fine idea, but the lack of sales in the US, together with the lack of availability in some other parts of the world, is killing it at a rapid rate. WWE needs to pull out all the stops to get the Network off the ground. Basically, whatever it takes, they need to do it. Lower prices, introductory offers, promotional gifts anything that can be done, should be done. The major problem here is that only WWE fans purchased a subscription to the Network. Wrestling is an industry in decline right now, which means that casual viewers simply arent watching, which in turn means that there are less fans all round. Casual viewers, for their part, can still watch RAW and Smackdown! on TV as part of their regular subscription package, so they arent about to spend extra money on anything they can get for free. Sure, fans like us may salivate at the prospect of watching 90s ECW treasures and 70s AWA gems, or else re-living the WWEs greatest moments at our leisure, but to the average, casual WWE fan, there really isnt much incentive to buy the Network. Maybe more exclusive content (e.g. Pay Per View events) is the answer? Who knows? Whatever they decide to do, they need to do it soon. The WWE Network needs the full support of the company and the fans and, at the time of writing, it appears to have neither. Of course, one way to sell the Network would be to make it part of a major new marketing blitz...
I am a professional author and lifelong comic books/pro wrestling fan. I also work as a journalist as well as writing comic books (I also draw), screenplays, stage plays, songs and prose fiction.
I don't generally read or reply to comments here on What Culture (too many trolls!), but if you follow my Twitter (@heyquicksilver), I'll talk to you all day long!
If you are interested in reading more of my stuff, you can find it on http://quicksilverstories.weebly.com/ (my personal site, which has other wrestling/comics/pop culture stuff on it).
I also write for FLiCK http://www.flickonline.co.uk/flicktion, which is the best place to read my fiction work.
Oh yeah - I'm about to become a Dad for the first time, so if my stuff seems more sentimental than usual - blame it on that!
Finally, I sincerely appreciate every single read I get. So if you're reading this, thank you, you've made me feel like Shakespeare for a day! (see what I mean?)
Latcho Drom,
- CQ
