The WWE Network is, on paper, a great deal for fans of professional wrestling. In addition to a number of unique shows, viewers have access to all live pay-per-views for roughly a fifth of the normal price. Not only that, but the network also includes all past PPV events as part of the same price. For $9.99, the Network should be a no-brainer for WWE fans, but that doesn't appear to be the case for all of them.
Since the WWE Network launched, numbers have faltered. WWE can't be faulted for not trying - advertisements for the Network are now a recurring part of the WWE's weekly shows - but the numbers just aren't there, regardless of how much the company tries. Now, despite the Network being available for the first time overseas, subscriber rates have only increased by 4%. Here is a series of tweets from Eric Fisher, a writer for the Sports Business Journal, detailing today's WWE earnings report:
WWE Network adds just 31K subscribers (4%) during last quarter. Up to 731K total. But minimal growth since spring and lots of churn.
— Eric Fisher (@EricFisherSBJ) October 30, 2014
WWE Network had gross subscriber add of 286,000 during last quarter to end up with net add of 31,000. Lots of churn. — Eric Fisher (@EricFisherSBJ) October 30, 2014
As a result, WWE Network has removed six-month commitment requirement. Now $9.99/mo, cancel anytime. — Eric Fisher (@EricFisherSBJ) October 30, 2014
The numbers just aren't looking as good as people had hoped. The WWE Network has been live since February, and still hasn't broken the one million subscriber mark. Not only that, but the subscriber base continues to fluctuate: there are barely more new subscriptions than cancellations. Considering the Network was released outside of the U.S. months ago, it's not a good sign. The interest doesn't seem to be there, and with so much money tied to the Network, WWE can't afford a flop.
The WWE is trying to counter the poor subscription numbers, though. The company recently removed the six-month commitment from the Network, meaning that fans can sign up and cancel whenever they choose. WWE also announced that, for the entirety of November, the WWE Network will be free, and that includes the upcoming Survivor Series PPV.
For fans of WWE's long history, the Network is a great idea. For more casual fans, however, simply saving on PPVs doesn't seem to be enough. Without the company's weekly shows, the Network doesn't have much for fans who merely want to keep up with what's going on in the ring. With any luck, November's free preview will help.
Photo: WWE
