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Post by thelaw on Oct 30, 2014 13:38:19 GMT -5
So from August until now, there were 286,000 new users and 250,000 cancels. Net is 31,000. Even with 170 new countries, the net total only grew 4 percent. This probably means everybody not in the U.S. who wanted the network already got it before the official launch.
WWE is now going to drop the 6-month commitment as I suspect it was a hassle for them since there were so many drops.
Frankly, I have always questioned the business model of this network. In my opinion, the network should have been a suppliment to their existing revenue streams. Instead, they just killed a major one and are now juggling numbers around so this network does not appear to be a complete disaster.
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Post by groovyphoenix on Oct 30, 2014 15:19:07 GMT -5
I don't think it's a disaster, however, I think they did it totally wrong, in Canada for example they tried to market it and signed instead with Rogers, killing the options, Rogers has underperformed on the On Demand, there is very little choice compared to whats on WWE Netowkr, it's like Netflix Canada vs Netflix US a big huge difference.
The idea is a good one, there is a demand, proof is in the pudding 750k subscribers is good.
But here's the big thing, there are people who are WWE fans who don't have the extra revenue, so they aren't buyers. There are people who buy one PPV a year and it's not worth it for them. And there are people who see no value in purchasing it. Overall, I found it to be a good buy for the PPV and I love the Beyond the Ring series, they have a lot of potential with this and I love that series.
So I think I am getting my moneys worth, but I'm getting WWE network Lite.
I also think insulting people for buying the PPV at 50$ vs buying the network is idiotic at best, lets shoot ourselves in the foot!
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deezy
Misawa
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Post by deezy on Oct 30, 2014 15:27:23 GMT -5
Telling your fans they are offering you a cheaper way to watch their product is not insulting them, it's the PPV providers insulting everyone by gouging their prices like that.
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Post by thelaw on Oct 30, 2014 16:16:20 GMT -5
WWE gets about half the money from traditional ppv providers. But then, the WWE has to give up a cut to the whatever app store as well with the WWE Network. Difference is they are getting less to begin with AND is making their prized PPV events much less valuable.
Before for instance, Wrestlemania was $60 or whatever. People believe that is the worth of the show (more or less). Now, Wrestlemania is worth only $10 since you do not even have to make a 6-month commitment to purchase the Network. Problem is that the reduction in price for the ppv's is not being made up by the number of subscribers. 750k in no way good because of all the money that was lost by killing their PPV revenue.
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Post by Zekey on Oct 30, 2014 17:51:15 GMT -5
Take WrestleMania off the network. I would still stay subscribed for: Monday Night War, NXT, and the new Rivalries show. I don't mind paying for WM, its worth the money and it gives me a reason to watch it at a theater. <--Great environment!
If I'm in charge I take SummerSlam and WrestleMania off the network. But keep all the BS PPV's people didn't used to order anyways, on. Debut a new WWE Network Original on the months that won't have PPV's. Maybe give Kyle Edwards a show called Breaking Kayfabe. They already have a studio. He's already on the payroll. Pair him with Renee and make it happen. But only air the show after midnight (gotta protect the business right.)
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Post by RKing85 on Oct 30, 2014 23:17:02 GMT -5
I'm still waiting for the full network to become available in Canada before I get it.
But as mentioned, this updated number shows that a large portion of people who signed up originally were outside the USA. I heard some people guess around 10%. I now think it was much higher. I could easily see it having been 25-30%.
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Post by Gee Hall on Oct 30, 2014 23:55:25 GMT -5
I'm still waiting for the full network to become available in Canada before I get it. But as mentioned, this updated number shows that a large portion of people who signed up originally were outside the USA. I heard some people guess around 10%. I now think it was much higher. I could easily see it having been 25-30%. True. And not only for the "full" network to become available in Canada, but for it to become available to the "full" Canada. Right now it's still a joke when it comes to availability to our nation. Even if it becomes available, one really has to wonder how many potential sub's already geo-hacked around the product. Time will tell. This is interesting, regardless if you are a wrestling fan, since the future of new media is looking more and more leaning towards sub-based content. Decades out, Marshall McLuhan's ideas are looking to be coming into fruition. |
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Post by thelaw on Oct 31, 2014 1:37:15 GMT -5
But, all the sports leagues are doing their over-the-top service as an additional revenue source. They are not stupid enough to throw away a large existing source and hopes the new one might replace it.
WWE is trying to emulate Netflix. Great idea. They are trying to copy a company whose content everybody says becomes worthless when shows hit that service.
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Post by Jack Raines on Oct 31, 2014 1:41:41 GMT -5
The main reason I dropped the WWE Network after 6 months is because of bandwidth restrictions. My DSL bill was routinely $40 higher, just from overage fees due to the network making me go well over the 150 gb monthly limit (although I only watched the monthly ppvs, some specials, and NXT).
If they start offering an option to change the video quality to something lower and less bandwidth consuming (like Netflix does), I'll resubscribe.
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deezy
Misawa
Posts: 2,334
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Post by deezy on Oct 31, 2014 5:00:47 GMT -5
But, all the sports leagues are doing their over-the-top service as an additional revenue source. They are not stupid enough to throw away a large existing source and hopes the new one might replace it. WWE is trying to emulate Netflix. Great idea. They are trying to copy a company whose content everybody says becomes worthless when shows hit that service. Online streaming is the future of television, Netflix itself wasn't some overnight success. Not even a fraction of the WWE library is on the network yet, the amount of content would be enough to get their nostalgia kicks, the problem is just old people don't know how to work the shit. Large majority of network subscribers are under 35. There are growing pains in any major change, but that's business. Shit takes time, whoever thought this wasn't going to take a few years for it to be profitable are being shortsided. |
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Post by thelaw on Oct 31, 2014 12:26:00 GMT -5
The WWE cannot say that everybody is a potential customer like Netflix. There are only so many hardcore WWE wrestling fans out there. In the US, that is in the neighborhood of 3-4 million. Most of those people are not going to go out of their way and get the network no matter what. A little over half a million or so steady subscribers in the U.S. is probably about right. WWE might not ever hit 1 million, yet alone 2 million.
Again, the issue is the WWE deliberately killed one of their major revenue streams for the network. That is what is making the network look bad.
And when everybody says "streaming is the future", they ignore the fact that content owners are not killing one revenue as well as devaluing their crown jewels by putting it on a cheap streaming service.
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deezy
Misawa
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Post by deezy on Oct 31, 2014 12:51:37 GMT -5
Acting like 100k of PPV buys were better than 731k of subscribers.
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Post by TolerancEJ on Oct 31, 2014 13:21:03 GMT -5
The full Canadian WWE Network is pending CRTC approval, which is the reason that WWE Netpak is available to us at present. I'll bite as soon as the full network is available to me.
As for the Subscribers, WWE was counting on vast numbers of international signups. However, the die hard international WWE fans that couldn't wait already found ways around their system and signed up on the US version. Simply rephrased, that means the US number already includes international subscribers.
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Post by Above Average Mike Sanders on Oct 31, 2014 21:13:19 GMT -5
I think they'd be better off just letting the network coast, but go back to also promoting the PPV's as PPV's. People are obviously still buying those despite getting beat over the head not to... so you might as well milk it for what it's worth.
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Post by RKing85 on Oct 31, 2014 22:58:12 GMT -5
I have no interest in the tv version of the network. I want the full archives.
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