WWE releases new Network numbers, no more 6 month commitment

[FreshAIG]

By Josh Nason, Wrestling Observer

On what will be an interesting day for WWE, the world's top wrestling organization announced that their subscriber number as of 9/30 was 731,000 total, a net addition of up to 4% (31,000) since last quarter. According to Eric Fisher of Sports Business Journal, the company had a gross subscriber addition of 286,000 last quarter, meaning there was an incredible amount of subscriber churn to add up to 31,000 net new subscribers.

Thursday morning, WWE sent out an email to all Network subscribers announcing they were dropping the six-month commitment to the Network immediately and that the ongoing price monthly would be $9.99, cancel anytime.

 

[FreshAIG]

This has been a massive failure

 

[puppetmaster]

You won't see me laugh or celebate this. I enjoy the network and want it to succeed but damn somebody miscalculated interest etc big time it feels like

 

[CJ]

And yet they still havent launched in Canada.

 

[Honga Ciganesta]

Time for Vince and co to take that

 

[Big Jo]

 

[FreshAIG]

You won't see me laugh or celebate this. I enjoy the network and want it to succeed but damn somebody miscalculated interest etc big time it feels like

Should've just charged more from the get go. Anybody who paid 10 would pay 14, they'd be in much better shape now

 

[thaKEAF]

 

[Big Jo]

Should've just charged more from the get go. Anybody who paid 10 would pay 14, they'd be in much better shape now

Hindsight is 20/20 though

I'm sure whatever numbers they crunched indicated $9.99 was the sweet spot for X numbers of subscribers. And $14 or whatever would have lead to a 20% drop that wouldn't have justified charging more based on projections

It was a miscue obviously, I just don't blame them for it. And frankly they are competing against Netflix, Hulu, and tons of other streaming web content, it's not easy to get people to add services these days. At $9.99 I'm likely to keep my subscription for a while, don't know how much higher I'm willing to go

 

[Da King]

I've actually been watching the documentaries and some old matches the past couple weeks, it's a good service


Anyone celebrating the demise of this is fukking fool

 

[Green Ranger]

And yet they still havent launched in Canada.

They still haven't in the UK
none of are tsc family overseas have an idea when it droppin

 

[FreshAIG]

Hindsight is 20/20 though

I'm sure whatever numbers they crunched indicated $9.99 was the sweet spot for X numbers of subscribers. And $14 or whatever would have lead to a 20% drop that wouldn't have justified charging more based on projections

It was a miscue obviously, I just don't blame them for it. And frankly they are competing against Netflix, Hulu, and tons of other streaming web content, it's not easy to get people to add services these days. At $9.99 I'm likely to keep my subscription for a while, don't know how much higher I'm willing to go

I was calling for 14 from the beginning. I think 10 was too low.

I don't think they're competing against Netflix/Hulu really because they offer so many options. WWE Network is niche based. If you don't get Netflix there's plenty of ways to get movies (Red Box, Streaming sites, Torrents, Ondemand), and same for Hulu. WWE Network is the only place you can really get all the WWE stuff you want. They only offer you WWE and nothing else, so I think it's quite different.

 

[Big Jo]

I don't think they're competing against Netflix/Hulu really because they offer so many options. WWE Network is niche based. If you don't get Netflix there's plenty of ways to get movies (Red Box, Streaming sites, Torrents, Ondemand), and same for Hulu. WWE Network is the only place you can really get all the WWE stuff you want. They only offer you WWE and nothing else, so I think it's quite different.

Right, but the point is in terms of budgeting $$ and time, I'm sure alot of people would rather pay for and use Netflix or Hulu then something so niche

Tbh I'm starting to get tired of paying for these monthly services, and might start cancelling a couple soon. If one of them has to go, I'm keeping Netflix over WWE, even though I really do like the network.

You know what I mean?

 

[Ill Lou Malnati]

You won't see me laugh or celebate this. I enjoy the network and want it to succeed but damn somebody miscalculated interest etc big time it feels like

It was a great idea, but didn't make sense to launch during this time. I know they couldn't wait around forever for some new boom period, but at least when they were on fire a bit it would've been a better idea. Instead, they launch when their current product is one of the most predictable and stale eras they've ever had.

 

[The Rainmaker]

That song wasn't enough. Get ready for $9.99: The Musical.