This Is The Most Expensive Mistake WWE Ever Made

I'm bored as hell, and I'm not gonna pay for it anymore.

by Michael Sidgwick
Daniel Bryan Wrestlemania XXX
WWE

Elimination Chamber 2014, after years of rumours and a delayed launch, marked the first pay-per-view made available through WWE's new streaming service: the Network.

At just $.9.99 per month, for which the fan could watch every new pay-per-view and a deep expanse of archived content - a DVD that once cost a packet, if it was even still available, was now just a thumbnail that felt almost free of charge - was an amazing deal offered at a time of change in both the business model and the creative direction.

Yes, an immense pressure had been applied to a management structure that in retrospect was never, ever going to change, but Daniel Bryan's ascent was much too euphoric and momentous to exercise rationality. The rise of the Shield further cast an illusion that WWE was both capable and willing to create or promote a generation of new stars in a crucial development not really witnessed since a decade prior. We were getting change, and it was coming cheaper than the old anti-meritocratic norm.

The Network subsequently shaped WWE's creative output. For the worse.

With the industry monopolised, it was no longer incumbent on WWE to promote the sort of fresh, original content that would ordinarily sell the old PPV model.

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Contributor
Contributor

Michael Sidgwick is an editor, writer and podcaster for WhatCulture Wrestling. With over seven years of experience in wrestling analysis, Michael was published in the influential institution that was Power Slam magazine, and specialises in providing insights into All Elite Wrestling - so much so that he wrote a book about the subject. You can order Becoming All Elite: The Rise Of AEW on Amazon. Possessing a deep knowledge also of WWE, WCW, ECW and New Japan Pro Wrestling, Michael’s work has been publicly praised by former AEW World Champions Kenny Omega and MJF, and surefire Undisputed WWE Universal Champion Cody Rhodes. When he isn’t putting your finger on why things are the way they are in the endlessly fascinating world of professional wrestling, Michael wraps his own around a hand grinder to explore the world of specialty coffee. Follow Michael on X (formerly known as Twitter) @MSidgwick for more!