Liam O'Rourke Posted August 19, 2020 Share Posted August 19, 2020 (edited) The issue with WWE is how fucking precarious the situation really is. The entire business success is reliant on TV deals, and their ratings have been falling for ages and are now at scary levels. It only takes one decision maker to say it isnt worth the big money, and then they're in serious jelly, because their other revenue streams are in the shitter. They can't create stars, there is no young audience, they have lost how to produce television in a way that impacts other metrics, and so the slide will always continue. Its become a house built on sand. Edited August 19, 2020 by Liam O'Rourke Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members Your Fight Site Posted August 19, 2020 Paid Members Share Posted August 19, 2020 I think the difference with WCW was, it was actually owned by the TV network. It was bankrolled by Ted, so making a profit wasn’t high on the agenda, so when its fate was put in the hand of someone else (through mergers) that didn’t share Ted’s… passion and instead looking at the balance sheet, it was a casualty. Why keep spending money on something that isn’t making a profit? WWE isn’t. WWE is a profitable corporation that happens to produce television as part of its business, and then sell that content to broadcasters. They’ll be on TV for as long as it brings value to networks through advertising. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members BomberPat Posted August 19, 2020 Paid Members Share Posted August 19, 2020 With WCW I think there was a real element of loyalty from Ted Turner too - when TBS first went national, it was basically all syndicated cartoons and sitcom repeats, there wasn't a lot of original content. WCW producing "as live" TV every week was a big deal for him back then, and he probably would have continued to forgive them a lot of flaws if he had stayed in the picture. WWE are a content provider now, and will continue to be so for as long as networks and advertisers see value in live TV in a world of on-demand and subscription services. Every metric that we're accustomed to using to gauge wrestling's success - ticket sales, TV ratings, pay-per-view buys - are almost irrelevant to their business model now, as we can see from the fact that all of those are in decline and they just keep on making more money than they've ever made. That they've now effectively spent the last few months putting together a showreel to tell networks that they can continue to produce this content even without a live audience, without access to major arenas, and in the midst of a global pandemic, will probably see them make even more money whenever TV contracts are next up for negotiation, because the networks now know that they can trust WWE to still produce live content when almost every other sport can't. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
poetofthedeed Posted August 19, 2020 Share Posted August 19, 2020 2 hours ago, Ralphy said: At the end of the day, WWE is just another tv show to most executives and higher ups, so there is no reason as to why it wouldn't be treated any different to any other fledging TV shows that have been canceled for awful ratings WCW felt it was untouchable but it ended up being treated just like this and got taken off the air Other TV shows have max 22 hours of content a year. Wwe has over 250 for usa, there's also massive differences with how stars are handled. If someone from a major TV show breaks their leg, or gets pregnant, or quits, there are major rewrites and creative issues. Wwe could lose half their roster in a bus crash and still run tv that night. The ratings and demos will become an issue eventually, but for the amount of time wwe fills, it's a bargain. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members seph Posted August 19, 2020 Paid Members Share Posted August 19, 2020 Somewhat predictably, Renee Young has put her notice in -Â Â Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yakashi Posted August 19, 2020 Share Posted August 19, 2020 They’re going to lose a lot of people over the next few years. They treat almost everyone with contempt and seem to be setting the bar lower with each report of shitty employee treatment. The covid debacle was probably the last straw for Renee. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members IANdrewDiceClay Posted August 19, 2020 Paid Members Share Posted August 19, 2020 She's a genuinely good host. She could do anything she wanted if given the opportunity. Cant see her staying in wrestling. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members LaGoosh Posted August 19, 2020 Paid Members Share Posted August 19, 2020 7 hours ago, hallicks said: True, but there must come a point at which they don't keep getting more money for less and less viewers. They aren't getting a massive amount more viewers than AEW yet Fox paid WWE $250m while TNT only paid $45m for Dynamite and is doing way better with advertisers. They won't get anything close to 200m next time around, no chance. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yakashi Posted August 19, 2020 Share Posted August 19, 2020 2 minutes ago, LaGoosh said: They aren't getting a massive amount more viewers than AEW yet Fox paid WWE $250m while TNT only paid $45m for Dynamite and is doing way better with advertisers. They won't get anything close to 200m next time around, no chance. Fox paid WWE for a 1 in the demo having somehow being carnied into believing that could ever happen. They’re currently doing half that.  As you said, unless tv landscape changes again, there’s no chance they’ll get these insane contracts again. I wouldn’t be surprised if they get cancelled on fox or moved to FS1. I’m sure they’ve told everyone the ratings will go up once they get out of the pandemic. They won’t though. And then they might be fucked. Thunderdome has proved that they genuinely believe the PC and no crowds are the cause of ratings demise and not the fact the book one of the worst wrestling shows ever. It’s never their fault. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members Carbomb Posted August 19, 2020 Paid Members Share Posted August 19, 2020 Let's also not forget the Saudi deal - I don't know how much it actually is, but you just know it's enough to provide them with "insulation" against actually having to improve their product. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members LaGoosh Posted August 19, 2020 Paid Members Share Posted August 19, 2020 On the AEW podcast I remember Moxley hinting that Renee had a big potential deal in the works, so maybe that's finally come to fruition. She deserves way better than WWE, wouldn't be surprised to see her pop up on a major entertainment show or something similar. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted August 19, 2020 Share Posted August 19, 2020 She should be The Rock's first XFL draft pick. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snitsky's back acne Posted August 19, 2020 Share Posted August 19, 2020 24 minutes ago, Carbomb said: Let's also not forget the Saudi deal - I don't know how much it actually is, but you just know it's enough to provide them with "insulation" against actually having to improve their product. I wonder if they get the cash from this years shows or if they'll have to do double next year. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members Statto Posted August 19, 2020 Paid Members Share Posted August 19, 2020 1 hour ago, IANdrewDiceClay said: She's a genuinely good host. She could do anything she wanted if given the opportunity. Cant see her staying in wrestling. She is precisely in the mould ESPN look for in their female anchors. They've been cutting costs for several years though so might not be hiring. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members Supremo Posted August 19, 2020 Paid Members Share Posted August 19, 2020 (edited) Renee always felt too good for that company, whilst simultaneously never being used to her full potential. Imagine having someone that talented at hosting and interviewing and crow-barring her into commentating. I always remember she had that small show on the Network where she interviewed people and it remains some of the best character development any of them ever had. Genuinely, I learned more and felt more connected to guys like Finn Balor on that show than I ever did from the hours and hours of TV time they had. She’ll move on to something mainstream and Mox will be the made man he spoke about wanting to be on one his podcast appearances. Good for them. Edited August 19, 2020 by Supremo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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