WWE Raw has hit a 18-year ratings low. As well, this coincides with more cable viewers than ever consider "cord cutting," meaning that they're willing to embrace other portals for broadcast content including Hulu, Netflix and YouTube, too. Add into this recent data that shows WWE as YouTube's most-watched brand, and we could be onto something major. It could be time for WWE to re-structure their deal with NBC/Universal (and other portals worldwide) to see the company's Raw and Smackdown programs shift from being on traditional cable to potentially being headline pieces of what could be traditional networks embracing streaming video. Imagine Raw and Smackdown as not on USA Network, but as the showcase production of "NBCTube," which would be a first-run TV channel that would specialize in net-only broadcasting. WWE's forays onto Hulu and the WWE Network have proven successful. Also, more advertisers are waking up to the idea of making their advertising streaming-friendly. If NBC/Universal were to leap into the YouTube game with a mix of WWE, and perhaps signing a YouTube superstar and a non-traditional pundit to do Last Week Tonight-style content like John Oliver, it's something to consider. All this being said, here's 10 reasons why WWE should abandon cable and embrace YouTube.
Besides having been an independent professional wrestling manager for a decade, Marcus Dowling is a Washington, DC-based writer who has contributed to a plethora of online and print magazines and newspapers writing about music and popular culture over the past 15 years.
