Sometime today, WWE will be having a conference call in which they will let stockholders know where they are at, number-wise, with the WWE Network, ppv buys, etc.... Word is that after this call, there are going to be a bunch of releases to make numbers look better for shareholders.
Let said releases begin: -----------------------------------------------
Ricardo Rodriguez just announced on Twitter that he has been released by the company. Ricardo wrote, "I have come to terms with WWE on my release. I want to thank them for a great 4 years. But I miss wrestling."
WWE issued the following on their website:
"WWE has come to terms on the release of WWE Superstar Ricardo Rodriguez as of today, July 30, 2014. WWE wishes Ricardo Rodriguez the best in all of his future endeavors."
------------------------------------------------
Y'know, Ricardo made Del Rio s entrance so much more than it actually is. Now, it's just there. Hell, without ADR honking the horns and driving in the expensive car, it's just....... there.
Not shocked. Ricardo is a wrestler who was playing a non-wrestler. If he wanted to wrestle, it'd be good for him to leave and actually get the chance to wrestle. And of course, WWE saves money. This seems like a win-win for both parties.
I don't get it or am I missing something? If they went up from May to June, how is it bad?
They only went up 30,000 despite having their PPVs be booted off DirectTV and Dish. Also, I believe May is a typo, since the 667K figure is from early April.
Let's put it this way: you know how Cubs quoted them last time as saying "WWE Network On Track To 1 Million Subscribers"? That track has derailed.
CALLER: He's charging at us. He's at our door, bedroom door. DISPATCH: One moment, okay? CAT: RAAAAAARRRRRRR!
Let's Go Riders! Owner of one (1) share. (2-2, 4th West) Go Pack Go! Owner of one (1) share.
As someone with some experience with corporate filings I may be able to say more after I read everything, but my initial take here as a professional is that John Cena only has 33,000 fans.
Its not a good number. I think they hoped to be at 800K at this time and 1.5 million when it hits internationally. I don't see that happening. They are also going to lay off 7% of their workforce.
Now that they've announced that the network will be availbale in 170 countries worldwide by the end of August, how many subscribers do you think they'll have by the next conference call? Also, available on smart tv's, blue rays, etc. can't hurt, either.
Someone had better secretly call Vince Russo. He has a secret plan to save the Network.
As someone who enjoys the Network (but doesn't really watch it 24/7 or anything, outside of that first month), I was hoping for better. It may be too ahead of its time, although also behind the times in some aspects.
I mean, what has WWE offered on the Network that's been unique since May to entice people to sign up? Battleground? Money in the Bank is the best thing I can think of, but even wouldn't be enough to get a 6-month commitment out of me if I wasn't already subscribing.
Originally posted by JimBob SkeeterNow that they've announced that the network will be availbale in 170 countries worldwide by the end of August, how many subscribers do you think they'll have by the next conference call? Also, available on smart tv's, blue rays, etc. can't hurt, either.
The problem is that there's lots of internationals that already have the Network through... methods. Meltzer reported existing 80,000 subscribers in Germany; those numbers are already in the 700,000. How much more growth is Germany going to have?
CALLER: He's charging at us. He's at our door, bedroom door. DISPATCH: One moment, okay? CAT: RAAAAAARRRRRRR!
Let's Go Riders! Owner of one (1) share. (2-2, 4th West) Go Pack Go! Owner of one (1) share.
I've been waiting to subscribe to the network. I know I could have found ways to do it before, but I took the stance that I could wait, and would rather just do it legit instead of whatever hoops I'd have to jump through. I'm sure there are others as well that were waiting for it to actually be available in their country.
Originally posted by EcksI've been waiting to subscribe to the network. I know I could have found ways to do it before, but I took the stance that I could wait, and would rather just do it legit instead of whatever hoops I'd have to jump through. I'm sure there are others as well that were waiting for it to actually be available in their country.
I noticed that to reup my subscription I have to agree to automatic renewals, which they say I can opt out of, but if they think I am too dumb to figure out how to sign up then they must assume I am too dumb to opt out.
I dunno, I don't see the big deal to us as fans. If they cut people, they will be largely under-utilized talent or people we barely see (or people behind the scenes). While I certainly feel for those people, it's not going to affect the product particularly on my end.
The Network is, ultimately, a long-term investment in new media and in the idea that people are in the process of transitioning from traditional television models to more choice-driven internet options, like Netflix and the WWE Network. It's more likely to pay dividends down the road if they stick with it. And they're kind of all in with it at this point anyway. Going back to the PPV model would make it almost impossible to try something like the network again for a long time and, for whatever losses they're taking in the short term, they seem to feel confident that, in time, it will work itself out, especially once it goes international.
I don't really care about their stock prices or whether Byron Saxton keeps his job (sorry, Byron). There's still a lot of roster that can be cut with no discernible change in quality (including some big contracts like Rey, Del Rio, Big Show or even, much as I enjoy him, the oft-injured Mark Henry). Hell, they just got Punk off the books, although they'll still owe him for merchandise as long as it keeps selling, I'm sure.
I remember a lot of gloom and doom when the first numbers came in, too, and, well...nothing happened, at least not that I could see. Call me when Panda Energy starts bidding for Vince's stock...
"Never piss off a hawk with a blowgun" - Conan O'Brien