Ahead of the game and pro-consumer (even if the service is often the antithesis of "user-friendly), the WWE Network was Vince McMahon's biggest gamble of the decade but already appears to be one of his shrewdest.
The company killed their own pay-per-view revenue stream upon launching the over-the-top streaming service in 2014, suggesting against evidence elsewhere that the method was dying. This was a game of numbers rather than dollars, and with an offering that included every monthly WWE/NXT supercard as well as decades of lovingly restored (and in some cases, previously lost) archive footage, the organisation were able to satisfy the needs of fans young and old alike.
With just under 2,000,000 subscribers at last public count all paying the vaunted $9.99, the company were well on their way to making an expensive undertaking hugely profitable, all whilst completely transforming their widering offering to dedicated and casual fans. In the Network, WWE have created the perfect earner - even when the service is sh*t, the service is still the sh*t.
Michael is a writer, editor, podcaster and presenter for WhatCulture Wrestling, and has been with the organisation nearly 8 years. He primarily produces written, audio and video content on WWE and AEW, but also provides knowledge and insights on all aspects of the wrestling industry thanks to a passion for it dating back over 35 years. As one third of "The Dadley Boyz" Michael has contributed to the huge rise in popularity of the WhatCulture Wrestling Podcast and its accompanying YouTube channel, earning it top spot in the UK's wrestling podcast charts with well over 62,000,000 total downloads. He has been featured as a wrestling analyst for the Tampa Bay Times, GRAPPL, GCP, Poisonrana and Sports Guys Talking Wrestling, and has covered milestone events in New York, Dallas, Las Vegas, Philadelphia, London and Cardiff. Michael's background in media stretches beyond wrestling coverage, with a degree in Journalism from the University Of Sunderland (2:1) and a series of published articles in sports, music and culture magazines The Crack, A Love Supreme and Pilot. When not offering his voice up for daily wrestling podcasts, he can be found losing it singing far too loud watching his favourite bands play live. Follow him on X/Twitter - @MichaelHamflett
