The Current Network Suscriber Number is A Genuine Disappointment- Double Talk

[reigun]

They're up against a lot, mainly the fact that there isn't much reason for people to subscribe to the Network. The main reasons now are PPV's, NXT, and the archives. All of those things pretty much only appeal to people already invested in the product and even then, you can break each of them down.

Archives: Only hardcore wrestling fans are going to subscribe to another streaming service on top of Netflix or Hulu or what have you to watch shyt from 90's or whatever.
NXT: As the contraians who hate "neckbeards" love to remind us, NXT's appeal is limited mainly to people who like indie wrestling. Sure you have people like Finn or Shinsuke who manage to break through and capture the regular audience before being called up, but it's rare. There's also the developmental factor; nobody is going to tune in to watch people like Bianca BelAir or The Ealy Brothers, who are still learning and completely unknown.
PPVs: The biggest reason anyone has to subscribe. Sadly for them, it's very easy to pirate WWE PPVs; all it takes is a quick google search. And again, if you're not already invested in the week to week product, you're not going to subscribe to watch Backlash or TLC, or hell, even Wrestlemania.

A lot of the suggestions in this thread are good and I agree with them. Problem is they only result in a better product for the people who are currently interested. The bigger issue for WWE, the one they are likely incapable of solving under current leadership, is that WWE has little mainstream appeal. They're so disconnected from what's happening in modern pop culture they can't attract new viewers, and they've burned so many old viewers that most are unlikely to come back. They need to completely change how they approach the product, but that's not going to happen any time soon.

 

[dh86]

Nothing like having less and less original content on the network, to get the fans subscribing huh

 

[AquaCityBoy]

Cancel Smacking Talk brehs.

 

[llt23]

Marks took over the biz. The show is absolute trash but you still hear "this is awesome" chants every week. WWE cant understand why that doesnt translate to more tv ratings and subscribers. Wrestling bubble.

You dont even need to wonder if Vince has seen how UFC has been promoting their fights. I watched Jon Jones vs Cormier PPV based on two youtube video packages they put on their channel. Both those videos had better promos, build and storylines than WWE has had in 10 years or longer.

Its insane that they cant make a great story when they can RIG the fight. They are too concerned with the fake fight being 'great' and nothing else. Its silly


Think about it like this. If current WWE remade the movie Rocky, they would cut all the training montages, backstory and promos and just make his in ring fights 55 minutes long. Movie critics would bury it, nobody would watch it, but Meltzer would give it 5 stars.

 

[Rayzah]

Maybe signing everyone who ever appeared in ROH or TNA/GFW wasn't a smart idea either.

Nah. The Indy signing helped but wasn't the solution. The problem is WWE doesn't k ow how to attract non wrestling fans or even the fans that bailed during the Cena regime. They need to find a better way to promote their talent and connect with the younger teens to 35 year old demo. Why when in New York the wrestlers don't do promo runs, the new day should be doing promo in the black markets, podcast radio etc. the top stars shouldn't be on fukking good morning America and espn they should be at the breakfast club or on podcasts that reach outside the wrestling world. Wwe is stuck in their own bubble and don't advertise to the right demo.

Like They run Summer Slam in BK or La every year and during there promo run I see nothing about wwe outside off through their own programing. Mania and summer slam season you shuold see guys like xavier woods doing shyt for IGN, or Roman reigns doing promo on the radio or whatever the hot show is that the average person is into. why when they were on espn none of them were on first take? the only show on espn anyone cares about. If R-truth raps and cena is a fan of rap why not have him go to hot 97 or big boy and talk about the product.. They missing out on an era when average joes are getting theirselves over on snap chat and ig live but the wwe is so out of touch that they do stupid shyt like promote tout

 

[Drones]

What? You don't like Punjabi Prison matches?

Breh I can handle one shytty match, but that whole card was garbage after the first match. Fastlane was when I dropped the Network but that last shyt was a reminder of why I did it in the first place.

 

[reigun]

Nah. The Indy signing helped but wasn't the solution. The problem is WWE doesn't k ow how to attract non wrestling fans or even the fans that bailed during the Cena regime. They need to find a better way to promote their talent and connect with the younger teens to 35 year old demo. Why when in New York the wrestlers don't do promo runs, the new day should be doing promo in the black markets, podcast radio etc. the top stars shouldn't be on fukking good morning America and espn they should be at the breakfast club or on podcasts that reach outside the wrestling world. Wwe is stuck in their own bubble and don't advertise to the right demo.

Like They run Summer Slam in BK or La every year and during there promo run I see nothing about wwe outside off through their own programing. Mania and summer slam season you shuold see guys like xavier woods doing shyt for IGN, or Roman reigns doing promo on the radio or whatever the hot show is that the average person is into. why when they were on espn none of them were on first take? the only show on espn anyone cares about. If R-truth raps and cena is a fan of rap why not have him go to hot 97 or big boy and talk about the product.. They missing out on an era when average joes are getting theirselves over on snap chat and ig live but the wwe is so out of touch that they do stupid shyt like promote tout

Exactly this. The problem isn't just the writing or the talent. It's a fundamental issue with the way WWE packages and markets their product; an issue that's unlikely to be solved under current management.

Like you said, they shouldn't still be going on Good Morning America. Or at least, not only GMA. Why isn't Sasha Banks, one of their biggest potential mainstream stars, making appearances on afternoon or late night talk shows? Why isn't New Day on Breakfast Club, like you said? Why aren't they pushing to have their stars make appearances on other shows and movies? (Back in the day, Edge was in Highlander for all of 5 minutes and you'd have thought that nikka was the star of the movie the way they gassed him up on WWE shows.) Why aren't they making more of a push to show how much more diverse and dynamic their roster is in a world where representation is a hot issue? Why aren't they making a big deal and getting footage of Samoa Joe and Xavier Woods going to events like E3, where the crowd most likely to get into their product is? Why do they still believe they need one "top guy" when the most popular shows on television now tend to feature ensemble casts with several characters people can like?

The answer is that Vince and co have been stuck in their ways and refuse to evolve with the times. Raw and Smackdown are fundamentally the same shows they've always been: just with new faces and better production values. Fixing the writing or changing the roster isn't going to move the needle until they start making a better case for why, in 2017, people should start watching WWE again.

I believe getting talent out there is a big step in that. Writing matters too, of course; the show needs to actually be good. But you gotta get people to at least tune in, if only to see that one person they liked from that episode of Arrow.

I also don't know if I agree that killing the writing staff and going with traditional booking is going to do it. Again, that just results in a better product for the people watching right now. WWE needs a complete creative revamp. They need new people who look at wrestling with new eyes working with talent to create something fresh. Old ass dudes who have been in the business forever like Road Dogg and D-Von ain't gonna cut it. Bringing back wash outs like Cornette or Russo isn't either. The people with the potential to change WWE's fortunes are probably people we've never heard of.

They'd also probably be fired by Vince after a month of work there.

 

[thaKEAF]

I wonder monthly why I give these fukk boys 9.99..I haven't enjoyed one ppv all year.

And I'm still considering going to raw later this month nostalgia is a muhfukka but it's wearing thin.

 

[Rayzah]

Exactly this. The problem isn't just the writing or the talent. It's a fundamental issue with the way WWE packages and markets their product; an issue that's unlikely to be solved under current management.

Like you said, they shouldn't still be going on Good Morning America. Or at least, not only GMA. Why isn't Sasha Banks, one of their biggest potential mainstream stars, making appearances on afternoon or late night talk shows? Why isn't New Day on Breakfast Club, like you said? Why aren't they pushing to have their stars make appearances on other shows and movies? (Back in the day, Edge was in Highlander for all of 5 minutes and you'd have thought that nikka was the star of the movie the way they gassed him up on WWE shows.) Why aren't they making more of a push to show how much more diverse and dynamic their roster is in a world where representation is a hot issue? Why aren't they making a big deal and getting footage of Samoa Joe and Xavier Woods going to events like E3, where the crowd most likely to get into their product is? Why do they still believe they need one "top guy" when the most popular shows on television now tend to feature ensemble casts with several characters people can like?

The answer is that Vince and co have been stuck in their ways and refuse to evolve with the times. Raw and Smackdown are fundamentally the same shows they've always been: just with new faces and better production values. Fixing the writing or changing the roster isn't going to move the needle until they start making a better case for why, in 2017, people should start watching WWE again.

I believe getting talent out there is a big step in that. Writing matters too, of course; the show needs to actually be good. But you gotta get people to at least tune in, if only to see that one person they liked from that episode of Arrow.

I also don't know if I agree that killing the sitting staff and going with traditional booking is going to do it. Again, that just results in a better product for the people watching right now. WWE needs a complete creative revamp. They need new people who look at wrestling with new eyes working talent to create something fresh. Old ass dudes who have been in the business forever like Road Dogg and D-Von ain't gonna cut it. Bringing back wash outs like Cornette or Russo isn't either. The people with the potential to change WWE's fortunes are probably people we've never heard of.

They'd also probably be fired by Vince after a month of work there.

I never thought about that, this is why we reject Reigns and cena, its not in our dna to accept another hulk hogan, that shyt was cool in the 80's but even by the 90's i was tired of him winning all the time, quiet as its kept I got tired of SCSA always winning by 99.. Let a guy be the man for a year then switch him out for the next guy, there is no need to constantly have one guy dominate while everyone just there to make him look good for 5 years, then turn around and not properly take advantage of the "It" factor this guy has by not exposing him to other audiences.. They should have a top guy with the main title, tag title and IC midcard tite that are all treated as THE guys...

And wwe should be the main ones telling me about Joe and whoever being at e-3 shyt wwe should have a booth with current top guys pushing their game.. But no they wait until they do their own promo events for their game which is mostly people that are already fans. Have you seen the wwe2k promo events, it be the same "smarks" that already love wrestling just looking for their fix.

. i think maybe part of it is Vince is just trying to ride it out until he is too old to do it anymore and doesnt want to take any more risks calculated or not..

 

[dbp]

One thing's for certain, things will never rise above mediocre until they really are financially on the ropes.

That I would bet everything on. They don't have it in them to take any risks without someone nipping at their heels.

Vince was best when he was being forced to ante up. The two best, most profitable and most mainstream eras were prior to WCW folding. Worst thing that ever happened really.

That's why when raw ratings sink and hit record lows, I get legit excited and pray that it falls further. I'd love for USA network to boot them, or pay them way less.

Put some fear into Vince so he'll actually DO something for the first time in a very, very long time.

"The business is cyclical!"

It's been goddamned 16 years since it was on a high. Before we know it, 2 fukking decades will have passed with no boom period!