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Justin LaBar of WrestleZone.com is reporting that WWE has a targeted launch date of February 24th for the WWE Network, which is the day after the Elimination Chamber pay-per-view. This confirms a previous report from PWInsider.com, but LaBar's sources provided him with a few extra tidbits about the Network:

- Initial price point will be in the $10-$12 a month range, with the sign-up being for six months.

- You'll be able to watch WrestleMania 30 on the Network, with the plan still being the reported "every non-WrestleMania pay-per-view airing on the Network in the future".

- It won't be a channel on television, but an app-like service along the lines of Netflix that you'll be able to watch online and on devices like smart TVs, PS3, PS4, X-Box 360, X-Box one, and so on.

- There will be a live, 24/7 stream of content on the Network, which is the thing that will separate it from apps like Netflix, which focuses more on-demand viewing. However, on-demand viewing will still be a part of the Network, as the entire library of Raw and Smackdown episodes, as well as pay-per-views, will be available to watch at launch.

If any more information comes out, we'll be sure to pass it along to all of you.

Full Credit: Justin LaBar of WrestleZone.com

I actually got to admit its not a terrible business plan as all ppvs will still be available for non subscribers, and they won't have to be bent over with a subscription fee like own. The fact it's also going to have a live stream separates it from Hulu and Netflix, making is sort of like League Pass Broadband. And the coverage will automatically trump something like Revolt.

I'd invest in it. What about you guys?

kblo247 wrote:

Justin LaBar of WrestleZone.com is reporting that WWE has a targeted launch date of February 24th for the WWE Network, which is the day after the Elimination Chamber pay-per-view. This confirms a previous report from PWInsider.com, but LaBar's sources provided him with a few extra tidbits about the Network:

- Initial price point will be in the $10-$12 a month range, with the sign-up being for six months.

- You'll be able to watch WrestleMania 30 on the Network, with the plan still being the reported "every non-WrestleMania pay-per-view airing on the Network in the future".

- It won't be a channel on television, but an app-like service along the lines of Netflix that you'll be able to watch online and on devices like smart TVs, PS3, PS4, X-Box 360, X-Box one, and so on.

- There will be a live, 24/7 stream of content on the Network, which is the thing that will separate it from apps like Netflix, which focuses more on-demand viewing. However, on-demand viewing will still be a part of the Network, as the entire library of Raw and Smackdown episodes, as well as pay-per-views, will be available to watch at launch.

If any more information comes out, we'll be sure to pass it along to all of you.

Full Credit: Justin LaBar of WrestleZone.com

I actually got to admit its not a terrible business plan as all ppvs will still be available for non subscribers, and they won't have to be bent over with a subscription fee like own. The fact it's also going to have a live stream separates it from Hulu and Netflix, making is sort of like League Pass Broadband. And the coverage will automatically trump something like Revolt.

I'd invest in it. What about you guys?

Interesting sounded like the WWE On Demand service until the live streaming 24/7 part.
Also the "entire" library of RAW and Smackdown being available sounds cool. And
every PPV in the library as well is that correct?

There is already so much Wrestling on TV during the week I don't know if I want to be consumed
anymore lol curious to see what other programming is gonna be on there before I decide if it's
something I want to jump into right away.

They could never fully distribute Classics on Demand to satellite companies though. And even cable had its limits as it couldn't hold their library.

Vince is one sneaky bastard. He knows damn well cable and satellite have been using him for 30 years of ppvs. When they were $30 in the attitude era it was reported he got 40% back and the companies ate the rest the profits. He was close to 50/50 last I heard now. So he keeps that avenue open as non subscribers can buy the events on ppv like always. And he still basically makes more money without a middle man, at least money he was once accustomed too back when they were cheaper.

As for the streaming part, I've heard several things I can share
- A cruiserweight show
- A divas wrestling show (in ring)
- NXT
- Superstars
- Some day in the life shows
- Legends House
- wwe films (maybe they to the Disney or abc family route)

I've also heard they were talking with Hogan, Bruno, and those legends and guys about active roles with the network.

I do think ease of access benefits him as they said would be available to the world, and if that's true, its huge in itself as wwe if they could reach them would make huge money overseas and outside the US with how popular they are. And this way they keep cable/satellite happy as there will still be people buying the B ppvs and Mania after this will still be their huge attraction.

On another note, forbes mentioned that wwe stock has shot up because of the potential of this network and the face Raw and SD TV contracts with universal are coming up and they are expected to at least triple what they get. Vince set up his company well for Stephanie and the grand kids it seems over losing money like Oprah or not getting covered widely like Diddy

I'd buy it personally just because the 60-70 bucks for the first 6 months is what I drop for mania anyways. After that it saves money on the other ppvs IMO.

I'm calling it the League Pass Broadband of wrestling

Sounds good to me.

From the perspective of the person that regularly consumes the WWE PPV product this is great for them. I wonder what type of reach it'll have beyond that. Especially if, as reported, after the first year the top-tier PPV's the Rumble, Summerslam, and Mania will be PPV-only.

Unless they've got some great programming ideas I don't know who is going to buy this beyond the 100-200k people who regularly buy WWE PPV's.

I wonder what they're gonna do with all the RAW, Smackdown and PPVs that Chris
Benoit is in? Just edit out the entire match/segments? Some big PPVs etc will be
missing major matches and a few Royal Rumbles.

i know he's on a couple dvd's (though for shawn michaels upcoming wrestlemania dvd they're omitting the match), typically when he's on the dvd they edit out most or any mention of his presence in the match (at least in a positive way)

This seems too good to be true, but if WWE is going to offer all that for 10 bucks a month I'm sold.

For what its worth same developers from MLB.TV are who they're using

Sebastian wrote:This seems too good to be true, but if WWE is going to offer all that for 10 bucks a month I'm sold.

Same here man I probably end up getting it if it's 10 bucks a month. As I say i other thread the other day, my question is will they show some old WCW, ECW, AWA, and other promotion on the network too? Because to me that is one of my biggest selling point.

One thing I've read is that, initially, you have to buy it for the first 6 months. So you can't just buy it during the month of Mania and then cancel shortly thereafter. My guess is this will continue to be the policy.

safi wrote:One thing I've read is that, initially, you have to buy it for the first 6 months. So you can't just buy it during the month of Mania and then cancel shortly thereafter. My guess is this will continue to be the policy.

That makes perfect sense, and I wouldn't blame them at all.

studcrackers wrote:i know he's on a couple dvd's (though for shawn michaels upcoming wrestlemania dvd they're omitting the match), typically when he's on the dvd they edit out most or any mention of his presence in the match (at least in a positive way)

IIRC the first DVD that came out since the incident to have footage of him was a WCW Nitro dvd and it was edited like crazy. No mention of him, but him and Nancy were shown. It was a chaotic four horsemen vs four other guys match.

That's been the only one I've watched that has Benoit in it.

If this is true and wwe takes the netflix route(which I been saying they should do since they wanted the network) imagine the content

Every raw episode
Every smackdown episode
Every wcw episode(nitro and thunder and what ever else them people had)
ECW
Awa
Just all the old time wrestling(I'm 20 and got in wrestling through the twilight of the attitude era)
All the ppvs

And wwe only wants 10 a month for this, sign me up

I really wonder if every non-WM will be available to subscribers. That's a super aggressive play on WWE's part and will immediately net them a ton of subscribers.

Sebastian wrote:I really wonder if every non-WM will be available to subscribers. That's a super aggressive play on WWE's part and will immediately net them a ton of subscribers.

Got to remember as their CFO pointed out, back when the attitude era happened and the ppvs were 30, they took home $8-12 and cable/satellite took the rest. They still have a 40/60 plit according to Meltzer except on mania which is 45/55. Vince would still eat about the same

I use to tape a ton of wrestling when I was a teen and have tons of WWE/WCW PPVs RAW, Nitro,
Thunder etc on VHS...

Then Youtube came out and took a chunk out of my collection now this service would take away
most of it. What a waste of time and money that was lol

Most of my collection is in a bunch of boxes in my apartment storage building now.

YouTube would be destroyed IMO.they would find and kill damn near anything of theirs fully with a network