10 Times Vince McMahon Sold His Soul
3. Excess
Despite UFC's enormous buyrates suggesting the contrary, Vince declared the pay-per-view market as good as dead when launching his over-the-top WWE Network service in 2014. Keen to cannibalise himself for the good of the long game, McMahon chased a regular income from a set number of subscribers every month over relying on the ebbs and flows of a market he was theoretically in control of.
It was the first (but definitely not the last - more on that later) full move away from the roots of promotion within of the industry that had existed long before even his grandfather Jess sold boxing and wrestling to punters in the New York area. Back then and all the way up to present day, the product still needed to be good enough to entice viewers to somehow pay for it. The methods of delivery had altered but the brass tacks hadn't.
By offering an expansive back catalogue and just about keeping things afloat in the present day, McMahon handcuffed a very willing audience with a nominal outgoing fee. The output has never financially delivered more, yet subversively mattered less.