‘This is crazy’ – WWE to ‘make millions’ as fans left deprived of much-loved matches with ‘cold’ Netflix decision
The WWE Network is on its way out and it’s not likely to be back. The Network has been a staple part of a wrestling fan’s life, particularly in the UK, since it launched around a decade ago. Raw will arrive on Netflix in January and a huge premiere show is plannedGetty WWE’s in-house streaming service provided a constant 24/7 cycle of programming and content to fans around the globe. In addition to being able to watch major events like WrestleMania and Royal Rumble via the service, fans were also able to take advantage of the vast video library at the company’ s disposal. At the touch of a button, a viewer could re-live the iconic Attitude Era or the cartoonish antics of Hulk Hogan and the Ultimate Warrior that came before it, as well as plenty of more niche aspects of the vast video library, including rare home video releases from the 1980s and 1990s. As WWE acquired more video libraries over time – including the WCW archive once the company was purchased by WWE in the 2000s – they all found their way on to the Network, offering wrestling fans a veritable one-stop shop. That is, until now. In January, WWE will take its programming to Netflix. In the US, Monday Night Raw and pay per view events will air via the streaming giant while, in the UK, all company programming will be found there. In readiness for the big switch, WWE Network subscribers in the UK have had their subscriptions chopped. They were e-mailed earlier this month and told the existing service will be closing at the end of December. As a sweetener – of sorts – viewers were able to retain their access for free up to its end, but that’s proving little consolation to the fans who have enjoyed being able to access blasts from the past found in the extensive archive. It turns out that, come the New Year, Netflix won’t necessarily be carrying the heavy load that is the decades worth of content from WWE, WCW, ECW and beyond, with a focus set to be on more recent programming and what’s ahead in future. Long-standing wrestling journalist Dave Meltzer touched on the availability of archive content on Netflix: “The answer is ‘not much’. There’ll be all the current shows… All the pay-per-views, everything is going to be on Netflix, [but] as far as your archives, there will be some, but very little. “When everything starts on January 1, they’re going to have roughly forty pay-per-views, will be the only thing up.” Former wrestler Triple H, is leading WWE as Head of Creative heading into the company’s move to NetflixGetty Meltzer went on: “There’ll be no WCW, it’s all WWE. No Mid-Atlantic, no Mid-South Wrestling, no World Class. None of that tape library stuff.” The news has come as a blow to fans, particularly in the UK – some archive content remains available to US customers on Peacock, where the Network now sits. However WWE appear to have softened the knock with the launch of a new ‘WWE Vault’ YouTube Channel, where more historic content is being added with each passing week. Some remain disappointed, nonetheless. One fan on social media raged: “This is crazy. The best part about the Network was the tape archive, and how it was basically a digital library for wrestling.” A second followed up: “If this is true, this is heartbreaking.” Another, more cynically, added: “So lock the vault doors for a few years, then “reach an agreement” with Netflix so you can bolt on a reduced WWE network for extra cash. Also following that thread, another said: “It’s a little cold, but take years of that archive stuff and monetise it on YouTube and you’ll make millions, it’s not hard.” Seemingly happier to wait and see, another commented: “With [documentaries] becoming available on the WWE Vault on YouTube, maybe it’ll be shown there.” WWE airs its first episode of Monday Night Raw on Netflix on January 6 with a WrestleMania style show said to be in the offing.
The WWE Network is on its way out and it’s not likely to be back.
The Network has been a staple part of a wrestling fan’s life, particularly in the UK, since it launched around a decade ago.
WWE’s in-house streaming service provided a constant 24/7 cycle of programming and content to fans around the globe.
In addition to being able to watch major events like WrestleMania and Royal Rumble via the service, fans were also able to take advantage of the vast video library at the company’ s disposal.
At the touch of a button, a viewer could re-live the iconic Attitude Era or the cartoonish antics of Hulk Hogan and the Ultimate Warrior that came before it, as well as plenty of more niche aspects of the vast video library, including rare home video releases from the 1980s and 1990s.
As WWE acquired more video libraries over time – including the WCW archive once the company was purchased by WWE in the 2000s – they all found their way on to the Network, offering wrestling fans a veritable one-stop shop. That is, until now.
In January, WWE will take its programming to Netflix. In the US, Monday Night Raw and pay per view events will air via the streaming giant while, in the UK, all company programming will be found there.
In readiness for the big switch, WWE Network subscribers in the UK have had their subscriptions chopped. They were e-mailed earlier this month and told the existing service will be closing at the end of December.
As a sweetener – of sorts – viewers were able to retain their access for free up to its end, but that’s proving little consolation to the fans who have enjoyed being able to access blasts from the past found in the extensive archive.
It turns out that, come the New Year, Netflix won’t necessarily be carrying the heavy load that is the decades worth of content from WWE, WCW, ECW and beyond, with a focus set to be on more recent programming and what’s ahead in future.
Long-standing wrestling journalist Dave Meltzer touched on the availability of archive content on Netflix: “The answer is ‘not much’. There’ll be all the current shows… All the pay-per-views, everything is going to be on Netflix, [but] as far as your archives, there will be some, but very little.
“When everything starts on January 1, they’re going to have roughly forty pay-per-views, will be the only thing up.”
Meltzer went on: “There’ll be no WCW, it’s all WWE. No Mid-Atlantic, no Mid-South Wrestling, no World Class. None of that tape library stuff.”
The news has come as a blow to fans, particularly in the UK – some archive content remains available to US customers on Peacock, where the Network now sits.
However WWE appear to have softened the knock with the launch of a new ‘WWE Vault’ YouTube Channel, where more historic content is being added with each passing week.
Some remain disappointed, nonetheless. One fan on social media raged: “This is crazy. The best part about the Network was the tape archive, and how it was basically a digital library for wrestling.”
A second followed up: “If this is true, this is heartbreaking.”
Another, more cynically, added: “So lock the vault doors for a few years, then “reach an agreement” with Netflix so you can bolt on a reduced WWE network for extra cash.
Also following that thread, another said: “It’s a little cold, but take years of that archive stuff and monetise it on YouTube and you’ll make millions, it’s not hard.”
Seemingly happier to wait and see, another commented: “With [documentaries] becoming available on the WWE Vault on YouTube, maybe it’ll be shown there.”
WWE airs its first episode of Monday Night Raw on Netflix on January 6 with a WrestleMania style show said to be in the offing.
