8 Biggest Casualties Of The WWE Network
4. Go-Home Shows
Pay-per-view go-home shows used to stand out. The pressure to increase PPV buyrates gave WWE the incentive to go all out on their last show before the big event, creating some of the most exciting episodes of Raw and SmackDown on the annual calendar. They weren't always successful, but when they worked, these episodes were strong enough to compel hordes of undecided viewers to fork out $40-50 for the PPV.
The Network has removed this incentive. WWE already have your $9.99, and the death of conventional pay-per-views means that they don't need to worry about boosting buyrates anymore. Your money is already in their pocket, and they're well aware that they can half-ass their way through these once-special episodes, resulting in two/three hours of indistinguishable television.
This isn't a huge loss, but it's certainly noticeable. The Network has made WWE's go-home shows entirely skippable, and while you'd think the company would still use these episodes to drive Network subscriptions ahead of PPVs, this apparently isn't the case. The company are going to go for the safe, easy option every single time, which isn't good for the viewers, but is consistent with their risk-averse financial strategy.