So, WWE recently announced their quarterly earnings, and everything’s great! We’re living in a new golden age! Well, a golden age in terms of WWE profits, but what else really matters?
The one smear on WWE’s record was the fact that the Network subscriber numbers didn’t jump as much as some people were expecting, considering the last quarter contained WrestleMania 31. WWE announced that they had 1.327 million subscribers as of March 31, which actually caused its stock to drop 7 percent, even though they had just announced record-breaking profits. So, WWE is once again pulling out seemingly the only gun in their arsenal, and offering yet another free month for new Network subscribers.
Of course, offering new subscribers a free trial isn’t anything unique. Netflix has done it forever. That said, WWE’s free months are particularly easy to game, and the way they market them by constantly shouting “WWE NETWORK IS FREE!” on TV hurts the perceived value of the Network. Also, there tends to be a distinct difference in quality between PPVs that fall on regular months and those that happen during free months. WWE doing two free months in a row doesn’t bode particularly well for Payback being a thrilling show.
What do you think of all the free months? Is a free trial what got you to sign up? If you’re a long-time subscriber, are you feeling a little grumpy about everybody else getting all these free months? I just hope June isn’t free because I’m expecting them to actually put some effort into Money in the Bank.
via SB Nation
