10 Times Vince McMahon Sold His Soul
1. Big Money
The news that B-Show SmackDown will become an A-Grade earner for the organisation following a potential $1billion deal over five years confirmed the latest in a long line of increasingly profitable arrangements that have transformed how WWE do business.
It's expected that Monday Night Raw will remain on USA for a figure three times the current asking price for several more years, assuring long term spots for both shows as McMahon continues to sell snake oil to the biggest marks of all - network executives.
Post-On Demand, the landscape looked bleak for terrestrial and traditional television but WWE remains a bridge between live sport and shiny floor entertainment that keeps viewers glued for hours and hours (and f*cking hours) at a time as a result.
It has made former criticisms of the product obsolete. Any expectation of a return to watertight plot or narrative arcs paid off logically should be flushed away - McMahon has yet again reshaped his 'Universe' to suit the highest bidder. Based on current financial trends, the company's 'customer' based income will be a permanent minority compared to monies gained elsewhere within the next five years. He'll no longer even need to serve multiple masters by then, just a scant few hidden away in office blocks. Those sat in arenas will be further away from the action than ever before.