Between 1984-1986, the WWF rolled out a group of seven programs that would allow the company to have full cable, satellite and terrestrial broadcast TV coverage nationwide. From shows that showcased wrestling action to programs like Tuesday Night Titans and Prime Time Wrestling that weaved more variety show elements into the broadcasts, WWE rolled out such a broad and diverse stream of programming that within a decade, there were only two national promotions left in the United States. Similarly, between 2014-2016, the WWE Network will allow for one streaming broadcast portal to ideally have the entire past, present and future of WWE broadcasting available via one centralized location accessible both via computer and mobile devices. The Network also effectively removes any level of competition between WWE and any other wrestling promotion on a broadcast basis, and actually -- just like in the 1980s on a national level -- puts WWE on the cutting edge of global broadcasting standards with again, a mix of wrestling and variety show-style programming.
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.
