yes and vince will be the QB
LOL. I would actually watch that... It would be quite the spectacle.
I hope the network isn't that kind of flop but according to my subscription of the wrestling observer newsletter, they are pumping a boatload of money into the project. Even more that they may not have looked at was the number of homes it will need to get into which, quite realistically, won't happen the day of launch or even within a year. Even the NFL Network is considered "scarce" in carriage in many circles and must be purchased as part of a separate package for many. If WWE Network is placed in a separate package for sports or as an a la carte network it will be interesting to see how it develops as many fans are casual and might not see the value of adding the network when they already have at least four hours a week on basic channels like USA and Sci-Fi. Depending on pricing, some could see it as a value especially if the regularly by "B-level" PPVs such as MITB or TLC.
I tend to think this network lives and dies based on whether, and how many, of what are currently pay-per-view events are aired live on the channel. If it's just C-level shows like Superstars and studio shows about the WWE, plus highlights of by-gone years, I see it as almost certainly being a flop. If they, on the other hand, switched all the pay-per-views over to it, it would be wildly successful. Somewhere in between, and we'll see.
One thing the WWE may be seeing is that in a weak economy that may be resetting to a long-term situation where more people are in or near poverty is that their pay-per-view sales may be slipping drastically, and the trend line may look bleak for them with it. They might in the long-run be able to get more money if cable/satellite companies paid them $2 a head for 300 million people (or whatever) versus getting $40 a head from 50,000 or 100,000 people.
And, honestly, I think a move where their big events are accessible to more people could help them across the board- better ratings for their weekly shows, more live event ticket sales, more merchandise sales, etc.. My guess is that there are a lot of casual wrestling fans or would be wrestling fans who are turned off by having all the shows build to pay-per-view events they can't afford and therefore can't watch. Put those matches on a channel they get with their normal tv package or that is a couple bucks a month ala carte, and all of the sudden they may plug into RAW and Smackdown and the WWE in general more because they know they'll get to see the big matches and the pay-offs to the storylines. I'd certainly be more interested in wrestling in general if I knew I'd get to see Wrestlemania, etc., versus now when I basically know I won't see any of the big events.
