*Official* Pro-Wrestling Thread II

[duffer]

Oh god, Fastlane on the same night as the Oscars? This will draw well.

 

[duffer]

Also, what's SCSA's podcast like?

 

[OverratedSanity]

Also, what's SCSA's podcast like?

Only heard a couple but he's fantastic.

 

[GIMH]

Oh god, Fastlane on the same night as the Oscars? This will draw well.

PPVs don't draw anymore anyway

 

[duffer]

So what's their business model these days? WWE Network?

 

[duffer]

Only heard a couple but he's fantastic.

Doing the HHH one now.

edit: Do they break kayfabe?

 

[GIMH]

So what's their business model these days? WWE Network?

Pretty much. PPV buys are way down from what they were pre-network but Vince is all about that guaranteed income.

From my POV, it's great because I'd either pay to watch a show live if I was off work or otherwise illegally download. I'd never order a show I couldn't watch live whereas now I can just happily watch Fast lane Monday evening.

 

[sledger]

On the WWE Network - I know it's free at the moment, but once the proper charges start, is there any minimum sign up period?

In other words, if there's a particular PPV you want to see, is there anything stopping you from ordering the Network for just one month and then bailing after the show?

 

[GIMH]

Nope. They originally had a six month commitment, but now it's month to month

I mean before they announced feb was free, it was an automatic two week free trial, a bit like netflix, so you could in theory time it with a PPV. I imagine they bin the free trials around mania time though.

For a tenner a month though it's well worth it if you like WWE. It's a goldmine.

 

[duffer]

Nope. They originally had a six month commitment, but now it's month to month

I mean before they announced feb was free, it was an automatic two week free trial, a bit like netflix, so you could in theory time it with a PPV. I imagine they bin the free trials around mania time though.

For a tenner a month though it's well worth it if you like WWE. It's a goldmine.

So they're still basically under pressure to sell every PPV every month, assuming people don't renew for a meh card. Basically the same model at a lower price.

edit: I know about the other features as well but I still see them on a monthly cycle as opposed to playing a longer game.

 

[andmark]

Nope. They originally had a six month commitment, but now it's month to month

I mean before they announced feb was free, it was an automatic two week free trial, a bit like netflix, so you could in theory time it with a PPV. I imagine they bin the free trials around mania time though.

For a tenner a month though it's well worth it if you like WWE. It's a goldmine.

Yeah the WWE don't advertise the archive content as much as they should despite it being the best feature.

Rhyno! FFS, the smarks have got into the NXT crowd, booing Zayn in Owens' promo.

 

[GIMH]

So they're still basically under pressure to sell every PPV every month, assuming people don't renew for a meh card. Basically the same model at a lower price.

edit: I know about the other features as well but I still see them on a monthly cycle as opposed to playing a longer game.

Oh for sure, the cards still have to be good. But it's about getting someone on the hook with a PPV included. If you got a PPV and it was rubbish you might be inclined to not get the next. Whereas if you get the network and Fast Lane is awful, you might get hooked on, say, the Monday Night War series or all of the Clash of the Champions or whatever, and think, might as well keep it and see if Mania is decent.

I mean I'm sure they've done their analysis. They lost money on it at first but long term I reckon they'll be on a winner. I am sceptical as to whether they'll change the model though. Bring in tiers, so basic gets all the archive, NXT etc, and then maybe silver includes most PPVs except the big four, gold gives you the big four. Dunno.

 

[sledger]

The rollout of the Network is an excellent idea from the WWE's point of view imo. The traditional models of broadcast ppv carriers are dying or already dead in the water. The teething problems they have had with it are hardly surprising, but they're definitely on the right track so far as the future is concerned imo. I imagine lots of companies will start doing similar things in the near future.

 

[duffer]

The rollout of the Network is an excellent idea from the WWE's point of view imo. The traditional models of broadcast ppv carriers are dying or already dead in the water. The teething problems they have had with it are hardly surprising, but they're definitely on the right track so far as the future is concerned imo. I imagine lots of companies will start doing similar things in the near future.

Who else follows that model? Boxing, MMA? The big advantage the WWE has is the exclusive content from decades of broadcast which other organisations won't have.

 

[GIMH]

I posted an article from forbes about it last week. They think it's the future of sports broadcasting.

 

[sledger]

Who else follows that model? Boxing, MMA? The big advantage the WWE has is the exclusive content from decades of broadcast which other organisations won't have.

You used to get movie channels which operated on this basis too, but they have all but vanished these days, afaik. Everything is moving to on-demand/over-the-top type services these days

 

[sledger]

I posted an article from forbes about it last week. They think it's the future of sports broadcasting.

Not just sports imo - carriers like Netflix demonstrate how mainstream media is conceivably heading in this direction as well.

 

[GIMH]

Not just sports imo - carriers like Netflix demonstrate how mainstream media is conceivably heading in this direction as well.

Oh yeah TV has already gone that way, which makes sports even more key for TV companies. So something like the network for other sports could be bad, bad news for them.

Obviously Raw/Smackdown still air on USA and whatever network shows Smackdown (and on sky sports here).

 

[duffer]

Listening to the Bret podcast, interesting how seriously they took kayfabe back in the day. Can anyone pinpoint the time the "kayfabe era" died? Montreal?

 

[sledger]

Listening to the Bret podcast, interesting how seriously they took kayfabe back in the day. Can anyone pinpoint the time the "kayfabe era" died? Montreal?

It never died for Jim Cornette.