Rumor has it AEW will be streaming on HBO Max. Which I've said for a while is the biggest thing that AEW needs. In a world where streaming services run between 10 and 20 dollars for massive amounts of content 50 bucks a PPV is not a viable model. I'm not sure HBO Max is the best provider, but it's pretty much the one they had to use due to their relationship with WB. Hopefully, it will be on the normal version and not some sports package.
For me, if the WWE Network/Peacock didn't exist, I'd have stopped watching wrestling long ago. I'm not paying 50 bucks a show, and I'm not spending hours trying to find a non-sketchy stream. And if I'm not watching the PPVs, I don't see the point of watching the weekly shows. It's even more vital to AEW since they have to grow. Their PPVs should theoretically be their best products, and they should want them to be in front of as many eyeballs as possible, and at 50 bucks they're not attracting anyone who isn't already invested. But, if there was something like say... Edge and Christian vs FTR, and I happened to have HBO Max anyway, that's something I'd definitely check out, and maybe then I'll actually start watching the weekly shows. AEW really should treat this like a semi-relaunch of the brand.
Smackdown is moving to USA which ends the pro-wrestling on network TV experiment. The rights fees are up about 40% from what they were the last time, but only about 12% when accounting for inflation. Which isn't bad, but also not great growth. As of now, they don't expect Raw to return to USA, which is kind of weird. Trading one wrestling show for another seems like a bit of a lateral move.
I'm honestly not sure that Raw will be on TV anymore. WWE definitely wants some TV presence, and that may be Smackdown. Wrestling is always a weird product. It's fairly popular, but it's still a niche product and somewhat insulated. People who watch wrestling regularly tend to be passionate then someone who watches some random sitcom or reality show. If Raw was exclusive to a particular streaming service, like Peacock, it would likely drive people to subscribe to that service. Driving WWE's more loyal fans to that service may be more valuable than putting it on cable.
The way I see it is that USA network and WWE wants some wrestling on cable. This is important to keep WWE growing to an extent and to provide some ratings. Smackdown is more desirable because it airs on Friday, and doesn't have to go against Monday night Football for 1/4 of the year. It's also possible that with only one wrestling show on cable, it will kind of consolidate the viewership. Smackdown will be kind of the "A" show as it has been with more of the top guys, cameos from people like Cena, etc. Raw on the other hand will lean more towards the devoted wrestling fans. Kind of like what Smackdown was back in the original brand split days. They'll put this as a Peacock exclusive, or maybe another streamer will want it, to get those fans on their service.
Welp, I was bored so there's my comments on some of the business aspects of wrestling nowadays.
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