Why WWE's New Show Is A Facebook Exclusive
Mixed Match Challenge debuts on January 16th.
WWE announced a brand new show last night. Debuting on January 16th, Mixed Match Challenge is a single-elimination tag team tournament featuring duos comprised of one male and one female Superstar, who'll be out to win $100,000 for the charity of their choice.
Curiously, the show won't be broadcast on WWE Network, but as a Facebook livestream. Why? A simple matter of monetisation, according to the Wrestling Observer's Dave Meltzer. Hosting the Mixed Match Challenge on the Network would add expense without bringing in addition revenue, but Facebook are paying for the rights, making it a straightforward business decision.
It's an interesting step for WWE, who media analyst Brendan Ross believes are being "significantly underpaid" on their current TV deal. In this June article, Ross estimated that platforms like Facebook could net the company around $400 million per year, compared to the $140 million they're currently being paid by the USA Network.
With WWE's current TV rights deal up for negotiation next summer, the Mixed Match Challenge looks very much like their first attempt at testing the waters with new distribution methods, and its success or failure could have a bearing on their next TV contract.