What did you think of the Raw Underground segments or new “chaotic” faction WWE?
It is too early to judge Raw Underground or the “mysterious” chaos creating faction. I have read the social media responses – WWE copied the idea, Shane McMahon is having a midlife crisis, etc. The segments had not even aired before people were generating memes and preparing sharp criticism. The thing is though, the people who criticize the loudest, are the same people who are guaranteed to tune in next week and the week after that. WWE is looking for ways to generate some buzz, especially to Raw, which has seen record-low viewership levels. With no live audience, it is harder than ever to attract casual viewers. Things got a little wild on Raw but rather than completely destroying the company, I would rather see where it goes to see if anything comes of it. There is a strong anti-WWE bias out there and I guarantee if these exact same segments were ran under a different promotion, the reactions would be completely different. Whatever the case, it is never good to pass judgment on something immediately or else anything even close to being different would be dismissed.
I read the Backstage News report on WWE moving SummerSlam, WrestleMania and Royal Rumble off the WWE Network. How would this work?
WWE is always looking for better ways to monetize their content. When they first launched the WWE Network they knew they had to encourage users to signup so they included all of their pay-per-views. The thought was: while less will be made per viewer, it can be made up on volume. That was almost seven years ago. Now, there are tons of streaming platforms and options and they have seen people are willing to pay a premium for sports events. UFC is a prime example. Not only do you have to be an ESPN+ subscriber (which is a monthly fee) to order a UFC show but you also have to pay the hefty pay-per-view price tag. It is the best of both worlds and Vince McMahon is hoping to do something similar with his biggest shows. They would have been much further along had it not been for the COVID-19 pandemic and due to that, SummerSlam should air like it has on the WWE Network under the $9.99/month price. There is a good chance the days of all WWE’s pay-per-views being available for $9.99/month are numbered.
Do you think The Rock’s acquisition of the XFL will go through and if it does, will they succeed?
The XFL has failed twice. The second time can be blamed on the COVID-19 pandemic but viewership was already steadily on the decline before that happened. The year before the XFL came back, a group called the Alliance of American Football tried as an upstart football league and were unsuccessful. It is very difficult to complete with the NFL and I would not be optimistic about the XFL succeeding under The Rock or anyone else. I believe the deal will happen but it is going to be an uphill climb. If Vince McMahon could not make it work with his deep pockets, it is hard to fathom another group having success.
What is the internal reaction to Drew McIntyre as WWE Champion? It seems as though he is getting better each week.
Drew McIntyre is one of Vince McMahnon’s favorites at the moment. They have an open line of communication and Vince is happy with him, even though the viewership numbers are in the tank. Vince sees the low viewership as more to do with the lack of a live audience than a problem with his champion. This does not mean, however, McIntyre is guaranteed to go over Randy Orton at SummerSlam. There are arguments to be made both ways but the last I heard, a decision had not been reached on the favorite to go over.
The next installment of Ask WNC is scheduled to run on Wednesday, August 5, 2020.
You can submit a question for the next installment of Ask WNC at this link. If you have problems with the form, you can send your question to AskWNC@wrestlingnews.com.
Leave a Reply