Welcome to another edition of The Wrestling Post where we write about the WWE Network launching overseas and the news that tickets demand are lowest in four years for Summerslam.
WWE Network launches overseas
The official launch of the international over the top network went live this week as it was made available in 170 countries outside of the United States. The hope is that it will pick up much needed subscribers after meager additions after the company’s second quarter. In addition, in order to entice fans that do not want a longer commitment, it is offering two other tiers of subscription.
Via WWE press release:
The U.S. English language version of WWE Network is now available, on an over-the-top basis, in more than 170 countries and territories, including Australia, New Zealand, Hong Kong, Singapore, Mexico, Spain, and the Nordics, among others. The network is expected to be live in the U.K. by this October and plans for the network in Italy, UAE, Germany, Japan, India, China, Thailand and Malaysia will be communicated at a later date.
For $9.99 (U.S. dollars) per month with a six month commitment, fans have access to 24/7 programming, all 12 live WWE pay-per-view events, and the most comprehensive video-on-demand library. In addition, subscribers can now choose a monthly offering at $12.99 (U.S. dollars) with no commitment and the ability to cancel at any time. The $12.99 price point is a change from the previously announced $19.99 monthly plan and allows WWE to offer an option with no commitment that we believe better reflects the variety of economies that exist internationally.
Payout Take: We will see how many subscribers latch on to the WWE Network. Overseas growth had been key in the past for WWE traditional businesses. Certainly, the WWE hopes that proves the same with its network.
Summerslam Ticket prices lowest in 4 years
In addition to the WWE Network subscriber disappointment, tickets for this Sunday’s big event, Summerslam, ticket demand for this year rivals that of UFC 174.
Via Forbes.com:
According to TiqIQ, the average price for SummerSlam is currently $205.99 with a get-in price of $67, both lows since 2011. Last year the average price was $213.71 with a get-in price of $71. Neither year come close to the peak from 2011 and 2012, which had average prices of $248.31 and $249.64, respectively, with a get-in price of $75.
Payout Take: Take it for what it’s worth as the article was written by the CEO of TiqIQ and he sources his own company for the ticket information. Summerslam 2014 is likely not as bad as UFC 174, but if we assume that the ticket demand is down from last year, it reflects a bad spate for the WWE. Even with Brock Lesnar-John Cena in the main event, the interest appears to be off for this year if we are basing it on the ticket demand. Due to cost-cutting measures from the expenses incurred from the WWE Network, the WWE did away with its mini-exhibition, Axxess, during Summerslam although it will have a scaled down version.
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