WWE Network... It's Here

[khawk20]

Am I right in understanding that the Network offering as a singular channel stays as-is in Canada?

I'd kill to get the Peacock network here and tie into that deal. The Canadian version has always blown by comparison from day one.

[Ricky Jackson]

4 minutes ago, khawk20 said:

Am I right in understanding that the Network offering as a singular channel stays as-is in Canada?

I'd kill to get the Peacock network here and tie into that deal. The Canadian version has always blown by comparison from day one.

Yeah, as far as I understand it the Peacock deal is a US thing only. Rest of the world is the Network as usual 

[sek69]

It probably won't be super difficult for Canadians to get a US Peacock account either.

[khawk20]

Understood, of course, I just hate having to fiddle around when if I didn't have to.

[C.S.]

20 hours ago, MoS said:

I had found Austin's interviews with Bret and Flair to be boring and generic - mainly because they did not tread any new ground  there; do we really need Bret talking about Montreal for the 862nd time? - but his interviews with Bayley and now Sasha have been fantastic? Really really excellent, and I cannot recommend them enough. It helps that Austin is very obviously a massive fan of both Bayley and Sasha. There's a lot of respect and admiration that's plainly evident. 

I second this. The interviews with Bayley and especially Sasha have both been fantastic.

The Sasha interview will likely be my swan song with the WWE Network, as my subscription expires in a few days.

Onto Peacock...

Let's hope content like this doesn't become a thing of the past now that WWE no longer has to care about boosting subscriber numbers.

[khawk20]

1 minute ago, C.S. said:

Let's hope content like this doesn't become a thing of the past now that WWE no longer has to care about boosting subscriber numbers.

This thought made me hope someone high up at Peacock tells the WWE "GET ME MORE CLASSIC CONTENT FROM THE 60's - 80's PROCESSED ASAP!!" and the WWE does it, since they won't care if it boosts subscriber numbers. lol

[Art Machine Love Barr]

Do we know yet if there will still be the 30 day delay adding raw and SmackDown? I thought the rationale for that was a rights issue with Nbc so would hope that wasn't an issue with Peacock.

Probably just wishful thinking on my part.

[Migs]

23 hours ago, Art Machine Love Barr said:

Do we know yet if there will still be the 30 day delay adding raw and SmackDown? I thought the rationale for that was a rights issue with Nbc so would hope that wasn't an issue with Peacock.

Probably just wishful thinking on my part.

I think Dave had said the delay wouldn't change, at least initially.

[Blehschmidt]

Well, according to this press release that came out today, the classic content won't be available initially, but should all be ported over by  SummerSlam. For some reason that doesn't instill me with confidence about stuff like World Class and Mid-South being much of a priority... ever

 

Quote

WWE NETWORK TO LAUNCH ON PEACOCK MARCH 18

New York, NY, and Stamford, Conn., March 8, 2021—Starting March 18, Peacock will begin rolling out WWE Network content just before Fastlane, the first WWE pay-per-view (PPV) event on the service. The new WWE destination on Peacock will feature fan-favorite content at launch, including all past WrestleManiasleading up to WrestleMania 37—streaming exclusively on Peacock.

WWE will have a dedicated page on Peacock where fans can browse and access every PPV event in the last calendar year; current or most recent season episodes of WWE original series Steve Austin’s The Broken Skull Sessions, WWE Chronicle, and WWE Icons; in-ring action with new weekly episodes of NXT the day after air, as well as the 2021 replays of RAW and SmackDown 30 days after air; groundbreaking documentaries, including Undertaker: The Last Ride, WWE 24, and WWE Untold; reality series, including Total Bellas; as well as collections of featured series, topical moments like “Stone Cold” Steve Austin Week, and playlists showcasing current Superstars.

Peacock will continually add WWE Network content to the library, making the entire WWE Network archive—including every WWE, WCW, and ECW PPV event in history—available to stream on-demand before SummerSlam.

Peacock Premium will be home to all upcoming PPV events and the current seasons of WWE Original shows. In the free tier, Peacock will offer a new WWE channel; select WWE Original shows; reality shows like Miz and Mrs., Total Bellas, and Total Divas; recent in-ring content; and new weekly episodes of select live shows like RAW Talk and The Bump, both live and on-demand.

When WWE sunsets the existing standalone WWE Network app on April 4, Peacock will be the exclusive streaming home to WWE Network in the U.S. To continue streaming WWE Network content, fans will need to sign up for Peacock. As previously announced, WWE Network, including all PPVs, will be available on Peacock Premium for $4.99—a $5.00/month savings. Starting today, Peacock is also offering the WWE Universe deeper savings for a limited time—details available at www.PeacockTV.com/WWE.

Peacock Premium is included at no additional cost for Comcast’s eligible Xfinity X1 and Flex customers and Cox Contour customers. Peacock is currently available on the Roku platform; Apple devices, including iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, Apple TV 4K, and Apple TV HD; Google platforms and devices, including Android, Android TV devices, Chromecast, and Chromecast built-in devices; Microsoft’s Xbox One family of devices, including Xbox One S and Xbox One X; Sony PlayStation 4, PlayStation 4 Pro, and PlayStation 5; and VIZIO SmartCast TVs and LG Smart TVs.

 

[CarpetCrawler]

Fucking oof.

 

[sek69]

This is shaping up to be a disaster. Peacock is going to be overrun with angry wrestling fans and they will have no idea why.

[RingoPlaysDrums]

Sounds terrible. We're lucky we'll still have the old style Network in the UK... for the time being at least. This sounds like a huge downgrade from a subscriber standpoint.

[DMJ]

Its definitely a huge downgrade and as sek69 said above, it will be met with uproar from wrestling fans.

But because this is the WWE (and NBC, for that matter), that uproar will be met with a shrug and a "They'll get over it" attitude. 

While there have always been problems with it, for the most part, the WWE Network did actually give many of us fans what we basically wanted - all the PPVs (past and present) for the "Big 3," an undeniably huge library of content from the 80s and 90s, and some fun documentaries and extras over the years. I know around these parts there is always going to be a demand for even more - especially classic footage -  but I'd reckon that the vast majority of Network subscribers were happy about what they got.

This is basically them washing their hands of it, making out with a ton of cash, and leaving it in the hands of a much larger corporation that has even less desire to please longtime fans. Its moves like this that make me feel it really isn't all that out of the question that when Vince goes, the company will be sold and the brand will become just a part of some of mega-corporation's portfolio while Stephanie runs for President. In this scenario, Triple H will probably remain in charge - but to a much, much less degree than Vince.

[Ricky Jackson]

As someone who used to rely on the Network for classic footage to review on podcasts, I feel for a lot of US based folks in the classic wrestling podcast game. This must be a pain in the ass

[JRH]

15 minutes ago, Ricky Jackson said:

As someone who used to rely on the Network for classic footage to review on podcasts, I feel for a lot of US based folks in the classic wrestling podcast game. This must be a pain in the ass

Same with youtube reviewers. I wonder how this is going to affect Wrestling With Wregret and Wrestling Bios.

[Matt D]

17 minutes ago, JRH said:

Same with youtube reviewers. I wonder how this is going to affect Wrestling With Wregret and Wrestling Bios.

People could probably get access to every year of WCW SN for $20? And not just like six episodes of 93 for $10?

[JRH]

49 minutes ago, Matt D said:

People could probably get access to every year of WCW SN for $20? And not just like six episodes of 93 for $10?

Uh, I think you're responding to a different message.

[Ricky Jackson]

I think he meant you could, if one were inclined to go through the extra steps to acquire footage, get everything you needed and more than what the Network provides 

[C.S.]

Did anyone watch the 22-minute documentary "Heaven" about 16-year-old female amateur wrestler Heaven Fitch? It's the first WWE documentary that tackles a topic outside pro wrestling - in this case, amateur wrestling. (Even if you've cancelled your Network subscription, like I have, it's on the free tier - and also on YouTube, which I'll link to below.)

If you can get past the self-congratulatory Stephanie McMahon introduction and the shoehorned WWE references, such as Heaven Fitch admiring Beth Phoenix (who also narrates), it's not bad.

However, it doesn't pack the same punch most WWE docs do - which is now making me wonder if we've been overrating them this whole time. Because we feel a connection to Mark Henry, for example, that comes across as so heartfelt, touching, and amazing. But the same approach being taken with this girl we've never heard of falls a little bit flat in comparison.

It's still a pretty decent watch, don't get me wrong, but it probably needed to be longer to give us more time to get to really know Heaven, her family, and her story - 22 minutes isn't nearly enough. 

 

[C.S.]

6 hours ago, CarpetCrawler said:

Fucking oof.

 

6 hours ago, sek69 said:

This is shaping up to be a disaster. Peacock is going to be overrun with angry wrestling fans and they will have no idea why.

6 hours ago, DMJ said:

Its definitely a huge downgrade and as sek69 said above, it will be met with uproar from wrestling fans.

But because this is the WWE (and NBC, for that matter), that uproar will be met with a shrug and a "They'll get over it" attitude.  

All of this was pretty much known ahead of time though - Peacock's user interface and features (or lack thereof) haven't exactly been a mystery. 

Yes, it sucks for wrestling fans who don't know what they're getting into, but "they'll get over it" is exactly the attitude anyone at WWE is going to have.

With the "Heaven" documentary (see my post above) being presented by "WWE Network Studios," it makes me wonder just how rushed and last-minute this Peacock deal really was. The fact that all of the content won't migrate until August tells me this hasn't exactly been in the works for as long as most people assume.

[flyonthewall2983]

I didn't get the impression from that article that at least the guy they talked to from Peacock has the "get over it" attitude. Losing the markers is a negative, but not a huge one IMHO. I'm a little more worried that all the old PPVs won't be ready until summer. Not so much for that alone, but I get the feeling that doesn't bode well for the older television shows too. 

[Robert S]

12 hours ago, C.S. said:

All of this was pretty much known ahead of time though - Peacock's user interface and features (or lack thereof) haven't exactly been a mystery.

You would expect that if Peacock is willing to spend 1 billion dollars over 5 years for the content that they would also be willing to spend a couple of hundred grand to improve their apps so that the new customers won't feel irritated from the beginning. As always the first impression it the most important one.

[Robert S]

19 hours ago, sek69 said:

This is shaping up to be a disaster. Peacock is going to be overrun with angry wrestling fans and they will have no idea why.

It depends on which kind of customer service Peacock has. If they have the same level as the WWE Network does, no NBC (or I guess Comcast) manager will ever hear about that.

[C.S.]

1 hour ago, Robert S said:

You would expect that if Peacock is willing to spend 1 billion dollars over 5 years for the content that they would also be willing to spend a couple of hundred grand to improve their apps so that the new customers won't feel irritated from the beginning. As always the first impression it the most important one.

I don't disagree, but to be fair, no other show is structured the way WWE is. No one watching Saved by the Bell is going to think to search for "Jessie Spano caffeine pills" and expect to be taken right to that scene - unlike wrestling fans, who will search for "Ric Flair Royal Rumble speech," etc. Features like that and searching for individual wrestlers probably won't ever return IMO.  

[JRH]

21 hours ago, DMJ said:

 Stephanie runs for President. 

You mean, of the United States? Because i've never heard of her having any political ambition. But anyway, back on topic, I wonder if the success Young Rock will make them to want more early 80s footage on there so fans can see the real Rocky Johnson in his prime (as well as some of the other wrestlers mentioned on there).