15 Days That Changed Wrestling Forever (1)

1. The Network Launch, February 24th 2014

It’s amazing looking back on this list to see how the WWE has transformed. The plucky Vince Jnr who took over a New York business has came a hell of a distance, inventing an industry along the way. In 2014 however, he has had to reinvent the wheel.
The PPV concept he first pioneered back in 1985 is no longer working. Buyrate numbers have declined for some time. Vince’s answer is arguably his biggest gamble since Wrestlemania 1, a fundamental change of the business model he works with. The idea is to sell WWE content via a $9.99 6 month content subscription network, consumed by the now widespread ownership of digital devices.
It’s a bold strategy. On the one hand it locks people into paying for WWE events, on the other hand, if it doesn’t work out then the WWE will be in real trouble because they will have killed off pay per view and devalued their product as a whole. PPV was $50 but will now be able for forty dollars less. As UFC President Dana White points out, Vince in some ways is saying his product is low value. Still, at $9.99 a month for WWE events and on-demand classic content, Vince has a good chance of making his targets. It will be interesting to see how this latest industry changer damages or improves business, but as this list proves, unpredictability is rampant in pro wrestling.
Who in the 70′s would have thought McMahon could make a national promotion? Who in the 80′s saw pay per view wrestling taking off? Who ever believed that the WWF would recover from WCW’s dominance? And who then seen the WWF blowing their success in declining fortunes 2001 to 2007, only to recover with the John Cena led PG era to now.
It’s been a hell of a ride and I can’t wait to write about the new history of the Network era. Vince McMahon is far from finished just yet…