The WWE Network: Session 6 – Alternative Programs

It still boggles my mind that all that the WWE will show on the WWE Network is WWE wrestling for 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.  Yes, they have the library to fill the time.  Yes, they will have much flexibility in airing Raw and Smackdown, but there has to be more than just wrestling for the channel to survive.  Though I have no idea what the plans are for the WWE Network, I believe that they will still keep their contracts with the USA channel and Syfy channel.  Why?  Because they still garner strong ratings for those channels and with the ratings come the sponsors, and with the sponsors come the money.  But, what they can do is do a simultaneous airing along with those channels.  I don’t know if there are any legal ramifications if such happen, but it would make no sense to have a WWE channel and not air RAW and Smackdown at the same time when they air on the USA channel and Syfy channel.  Now, this blog isn’t about whether or not it will air on those channels.  I want to speculate possible alternative-but-WWE-oriented programs that the WWE can pursue.  My first speculation has to do with how they differentiate their airing of RAW and Smackdown from those channels.

Pre- and post- RAW and Smackdown Shows – Just like other professional sporting events, the WWE Network will have time to air pre- and post- RAW and Smackdown shows.  They can run the majority of the show from the WWE headquarters with back and forth live interviews with the talents and fans.  The pre-show can recap past events with the post-show recapping the show that aired.

Make NXT and Superstars it’s own brand – Because the WWE puts their best wrestlers on Raw and Smackdown, lower to mid card wrestlers have less and less opportunity to be on TV.  Giving them their own show would allow them to be on camera and develop their characters so that they will be ready to go when they are transferred to Raw or Smackdown.

Revive/Redevelop WWE Livewire/Byte This! – Shows like Livewire/Byte This! has an interesting concept of interacting with the fans.  This concept can be used along with a pre- and post- RAW and Smackdown show or it can be it’s own program.

Revive/Redevelop WWE Confidential – unlike the other shows that recap RAW or Smackdown, the WWE can revive/redevelop WWE Confidential in showing the behind-the-scenes of what wrestlers do to put on a show.  This can be modified as “24 Hours In The Life of ____” following a particular Superstar or Diva.  Also, this can have a regular 20 episode run per season.

Flashback show with Commentators – If you watched Scott Halls Youtube channel when he was still doing it, Scott Hall with either Larry Zbyscko or X-Pac would watch old wrestling matches and they would comment on it.  If WWE just shows old footage, that would be boring.  Now if any of there was 2 former WWE Superstars like Hall and X-Pac in a small box at the bottom of the screen talking about the match and comment on the wrestling time of that era, that would be very, very entertaining.

WWE fitness show – With Trish Stratus and Diamond Dallas Page still on good terms with the WWE and now that they have branched out to the Nutrition/Fitness market, having a fitness show would be inline with the theme of the WWE.

Comedy Skit Show – Whether you like him as a wrestler or not, Zack Ryder’s Youtube show is entertaining.  Give him a budget with a staff and camera crew, I believe that they can create a comedy skit show good enough for 20 episodes for a full season.  If not Zack Ryder, try Mick Foley.  If not Mick Foley, hire Colt Cabana as a TV show talent.  A comedy skit show would be funny and you can give more exposure to the WWE talents outside of the ring.

Diva Oriented Shows – The WWE Divas are hot.  They are great eye candy.  A Diva oriented show doesn’t necessarily have to be a bikini photo shoot show.  They can do a talk show interviewing not only wrestlers but celebrity fans.  They can do a fashion show where they visit designers and try on their clothes.  Anything with a hot WWE Diva in front of a camera will always grab someone’s attention.

Create a Boxing Promotion – There are a lot of hungry boxers out there just looking for exposure, and since no sporting promotion or sports entertainment company can compare to the promoting prowess of the WWE, it is a possible venture for the WWE Network.  Plus, unlike wrestling, a boxing promotion doesn’t need to tour the nation.  If they had one location for all their boxing shows, it would make it cost effective and I believe people will watch.  This can also happen if they pursued an MMA promotion to battle UFC.  These types of show might gain viewers who are not initially fans of wrestling.

Revive the XFL – Though this is highly unlikely to happen, the XFL did have viewers and it did sell tickets.  The downfall of the XFL is that it was NOT the NFL.  Though comparing the XFL to the NFL is like comparing TNA to WWE, there were still people that found the XFL entertaining. 

There are many possibilities for the WWE Network.  It will be interesting to see how this channel develops.  How much time will be about wrestling?  How do they expand their programming beyond wrestling?  What steps will they take to move from a wrestling oriented company to a multi-media company?  Only time will tell.