Delays have pushed back the launch of the planned WWE Network to mid-2012 - early-2013. Two more years? I want it now!! No, I can wait.
No news on what content will fill the network's airtime. I'm looking forward to late nights watching old 1980s WWF house show footage from MSG, Boston Gardens, Maple Leaf Gardens, Philadelphia Spectrum, etc. so there'd better be some of that on there. I'd also like to watch those Legends Roundtables that JR's always talking about but I'll never pay for WWE Classics on Demand to see.
Delays have pushed back the launch of the planned WWE Network to mid-2012 - early-2013. Two more years? I want it now!! No, I can wait.
No news on what content will fill the network's airtime. I'm looking forward to late nights watching old 1980s WWF house show footage from MSG, Boston Gardens, Maple Leaf Gardens, Philadelphia Spectrum, etc. so there'd better be some of that on there. I'd also like to watch those Legends Roundtables that JR's always talking about but I'll never pay for WWE Classics on Demand to see.
There are still a lot of cable companies that didn't pick up WWE Classics On Demand. Will there really be enough consumer demand (or interest from the cable companies) for a standard WWE network?
It could work if they put all of their shows on it, but I can't see USA giving up on Raw again. If they did a Raw replay on Tuesday nights and moved NXT to Wednesdays with Superstars. I would expect Smackdown to go back on Thursdays. Fridays probably a repeat of Smackdown, Saturday repeats of old ECW or Nitro episodes and Sunday repeating a PPV. Mondays would be weird unless they run an old Raw or simulcast it.
Maybe during Wrestlemania week replay the Manias for the entire week leading up to it. I do think they will need more programing the Legends' Roundtables were awesome if they can work something out with JR they can do those. I can see them doing the Syfy thing with movies with wrestlers in them or getting the rights to films with wrestlers already in them. What I can't see is on off the record show with people working for WWE taking other wrestlers to task. I can see a real version of something similar to the Dirt Sheet or Piper's Pit being on late night.
They can do a lot with the channel. It would be a good way to maybe get Lita, Trish, Foley and others back that they work on shows they would like to do as well. Trish's fitness hour, Foley's book or movie reviews and Lita's garbage bands countdown or something. The fact they have a giant wrestling library will help with most of the programming. Most niche networks like Chiller, Food network, BBCAmerica, Logo and so on due marathons during the day anyway.
The real problem is going to be finding sponsors who are willing to shell out the money with the start-up as well as finding cable and satellite providers who will put it on and under which type of programming.
I'd get excited for this but I know it'll end up on digital cable or some other premium service that I'll have to pay an absurd amount of money for a package of 20 channels just so I can watch one.
Hopefully they can work out some distribution deals with Apple TV or some sort of streaming deals (though, given that their WWEClassics.com subscription service still only works on IE/Windows, I'm not holding out hope).
I'd love to get something like this but not enough to shell out $100 for cable.
Thread ahead: thanksgiving wrestling question Next thread: NXT4 rumor they didn't go thru with. Previous thread: Joe Vs. The World Reunion/Special/Comeback Thing!!!
What does WWE have to blame ratings on this week? That rousing Dolphins/CHARGERS game? The new season of Joe Millionaire? The sad thing is, the highest rated segment was Shane/Test. Somebody's going to interpret that as SHANE = RATINGS!!!
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