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NOV WRESTLING CHIT CHAT THREAD


RIPPA

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My two cents: PPV is a dead technology. Wrestlemania is an exception because it has the advantage of the 30 year history of being an "event", like the Super Bowl or Final Four, so it will always have an audience.

The death of PPV is a direct result of the availabilty of high speed internet and streaming sites. Everyone has pretty much summed up all the reasons why. But to expend the area of discussion, people don't have the same viewing/buying habits as they did 10 years ago. Because of DVR/DVD/Netflix, people now binge watch episodic tv, and networks/media outlets pay top dollar for live events that draw viewers.

The same thing that has happened (and is still happening) to TNA's PPV business will happen to WWE, it will just take longer because their business is bigger. People already often mention how it feels like a ripoff when PPV matches pop up on Raw the week or two after - that isn't going to change. Fewer and fewer people will buy PPV, and eventually it will become cost prohibitive for WWE to produce them, and they will stop. Look at it this way: if NBC Universal is willing to pay WWE $1M each week to produce Raw, at what point will WWE stop pumping their own money into producing a PPV on their own dime? What will end up happening is that when WWE's tv rights pop up for negotiation again, they will leverage the ratings that Raw has for a third tier cable network under that media conglomerate's umbrella. For example, a timeslot for Raw on a major cable network (USA, TNT, FS1, etc) and the "WWE Network" will be a part of that company's cable/satelite package.

This is what has happened with college sports, the EPL, MLB, NFL, NHL, NBA, etc., and the same will happen with WWE. The biggest hinderance will be if they rely on the idea they are "episodic television" or an "action adventure soap opera"... because networks will shy away from that because they can't package the programming in an effective way to suit customer needs.

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The In Your House's were $15-$20 for a 2 hour show, and to this day, some of those shows are still among the lowest buyrates the company ever had.  Just because you're charging $20 for a $50 show, doesn't guarantee that 2 and a half times the people are going to now suddenly buy it.  If anything, you're risking people not even buying those shows because they know the important stuff will be saved for the more expensive shows.

 

 

 

Are you suggesting getting rid of the B-level PPVs and keeping maybe 5 to 6 big event PPV names?

 

I'm down (yeah, yeah...won't happen but I'm down).

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A Clash show in an era where RAW is already 3-hours long anyway? I think it only works if RAW is shorter so the Clash show could feel more like a PPV. Even the PPV nowadays doesn't feel special...

 

And yeah, I def. changed the channel when they announced the country music singers were coming out. Flipped right to Monday Night Football. Curious how that segment does.

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Anybody got any info or guesses on how much of the WWE buyrates come from bars/restaurants that buy the PPV and air it for customers? just a kinda random question

 

also, I find it interesting that matches from Legends of World Class are on YouTube for a fee. I'm pretty sure they've done that repeatedly with other DVD releases. So, in theory, they could stream PPVs through YouTube (similar to how the Olympics or major sports have done the same thing) for a fee, with the hard copy of the PPV being available for viewing later.

 

YouTube has seen an amazing streak of pretty blatant benign piracy. I say benign because people posting MLB GOTWs from the 80s, entire CDs as one track, or full PPV events from the 90s is probably not costing the violated copyright holders much money, but technically violations are occurring. IIRC, Google pretty much pays businesses enough to stop them from doing mass takedowns of videos and will take down people from time to time.

 

But yeah, streaming PPV is probably way more viable than when they streamed WCW house shows in 1998. 

 

I wonder how much of a cluster it'd be to get the WWE archives on Netflix or Hulu or whoever is their exclusive hookup there

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There are a few bars around here that are not listed on the "blast zone" that do the ppvs.  One actually charged 5 bucks a head the last time I went, that was for elimination chamber last year though, not sure what they do now.  I may check out survivor series there this weekend, no way I would pay for it.  Actually the card stinks, not sure I would even drive 20min to the bar.

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 I think the WWE are stuck. And they know they're stuck. Which is why they wont shake up the status quo too much.

 

WWE PPVs are comically overpriced but they are still making a lot of money off of them.

 

Lowering the price of WWE PPVs to a consumer friendly price ($15-$20) would increase the buyrates but likely lower overall revenue.

 

Givings B-ppvs away for free with a WWE Network subscription would increase subscriptions but likely lower overall revenue.

 

I have no idea what the answer is. The shame of it from a business perspective is the WWE is not getting nearly enough revenue out of someone like me. I watch the product religiously and have a nice chunk of disposable income. However, because of the prices of PPVs and my lack of interest in wrestling merch I spend next to nothing on my wrestling addiction. Even the dvds I want to see show up for free on Netflix within a few months.

 

They could easily get me on the hook for $15-$20 per month they just haven't figured out a way to do it.

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From what i've read they are reporting for another week of tryouts and even though they seem to have hired all the top indy work-rate guys people are still pushing for them.

 

I'm always curious who is IN the WWE bubble but is aware of workers like Davey and Eddie. It used to be Naylor. I just imagine peopple get to the WWE and forget there is an "indies." Naive, I know.

 

Hope they put them on a FCW Arena show on a Thursday. Would be cool to see them.

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From what i've read they are reporting for another week of tryouts and even though they seem to have hired all the top indy work-rate guys people are still pushing for them.

 

I'm always curious who is IN the WWE bubble but is aware of workers like Davey and Eddie. It used to be Naylor. I just imagine peopple get to the WWE and forget there is an "indies." Naive, I know.

 

Hope they put them on a FCW Arena show on a Thursday. Would be cool to see them.

 

Regal is the guy.

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Who on the indys is even left that would be a good hiring choice for the E other then Cole? I think Jig would be an incredibly interesting choice, but you could not have him take the mask off.

Jigsaw? Really? Granted I haven't seen any of his work prob the last couple years but I can't see that at all.

A guy I'm beginning to feel bad for is Roderick Strong. He's worked hard for a long time but it's pretty clear he's never going to make it in the WWE. It's gotta be tough watching all of your peers just leave you in the dust.

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