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Originally Posted by Media Boy
Still seen no real info on what network WWE Network will be on in UK from October!
Only online?
Only on some networks (Sky or Sky and Virgin Media)?
Only on IPTV?
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Here is some interesting info about the launch of WWE Network in the UK by Grahame Herbert who is the WWE editor of the What Culture website.
How Will It Impact WWE’s Deal With Sky?
Let’s start with the very biggest question, just how will the WWE Network impact upon Sky? On the one hand, if it’s an over the top digital service then it will surely cannibalise Sky’s PPV sales. That’s exactly why you shouldn’t expect the UK WWE Network to be anything like the US’s digital version. Instead, expect the UK Network to be part of the Sky TV package.
It simply has to be that way. There’s no way WWE would risk damaging their long standing relationship with Sky by undermining them with a digital Network. Even if they wanted to, they probably can’t – the 2015 WWE / Sky contract means that all pay per views will be exclusive to Sky.
With this in mind, the UK WWE Network seems certain to be a Sky tie-in. That probably means a dedicated WWE Network channel, similar in style to Sky Sports F1. There’ll then be all the on-demand content on your Sky TV guide. You’ll also be able to access this via Sky Go presumably.
So in that respect, WWE Network won’t impact negatively on Sky in anyway. It is going to have to be a mutual tie-in, meaning that it can only benefit Sky. Does that hurt non-Sky customer WWE fans who want to watch the Network? Yes, but then if you’re watching wrestling, you presumably have Sky to begin with.
But What About Vince McMahon’s Comments In The Conference Call?
“It’s unclear whether we’re going to see a pay-tv model in any other country in the world” commented Vince McMahon in the 31st July Conference call.
That seems to suggest he doesn’t currently envision a UK pay tv deal, which indicates it would be digital when the Network launches this October.
However, the comment doesn’t actually mean anything. It’s just Vince’s way of saying something without actually saying anything. The key word is “unclear”, meaning he doesn’t know – which in itself can’t be true. Whatever the UK situation is, with an October launch just two months away, Vince definitely knows. It’s hard to see how he could possibly launch digitally here without hurting Sky’s pay tv events.
Will All The US Content Be Available?
The US WWE Network launched with a tremendous amount of content available. There’s more hours than anyone could ever realistically watch, nearly every pay per view is instantly available for download.
Would a Sky service match this? Not to the same extent, I feel. Sky has the platform to feature masses of on-demand content, as anyone with Sky Movies will confirm. The thing is, the WWE back catalogue is so vast, it would dominate Sky’s on-demand services. It seems more feasible on the Sky end that they’d take less content. That could suit WWE too, who arguably made a mistake by making so much content available on the US version. Staggered releases of old content is far more exciting for the long term engagement of fans.
That being said, the heart of the US Network will be present on the UK version. Every WrestleMania being available is going to be a must. It’s stuff like the Z-rate pay per views that could be deemed surplus to requirements.
Even if the Network is launched digitally here, don’t expect the exact same depth of content as the US version. A more focused and refined version is better for everyone involved.
What Does Canada’s WWE Network Tell Us About The UK Network?
The Canadian WWE Network roll-out is a sterling indication that the UK release will be tied in with Sky.
In Canada, the Network will be tied in with the Rogers Network. Broadcasting on Rogers Channel 512, the linear channel will have “pay-per-view events, groundbreaking original series, live in-ring action, reality shows and a video-on-demand library.”
That will be pretty much what WWE works out with Sky for the UK, we can presume. There’ll be the on demand content too of course, but in the UK and Canada it is far less an ‘over the top’ experience. In some ways it’s actually better that WWE are working it in with established broadcasters, it makes marketing easier and also opens up advertising opportunities.
There’s a further clue from Canada that WWE Network will be on Sky. “The structure of this new agreement demonstrates WWE’s commitment to growing our brand internationally through integrated partnerships,” stated Gerrit Meier, WWE Executive Vice President, International.
That quote is basically saying that the international roll-outs will be done with partners, rather than being a sole WWE ‘over the top’ roll out like the US.
What If It Isn’t On Sky?
Legally it seems implausible given WWE’s Sky pay per view contract, but if the WWE Network wasn’t to feature on the sky platform, then a digital ‘over the top’ model would certainly allow for more new fans.
Right now, you can only watch WWE in Britain if you pay a premium. Sky Sports is an expensive product to have on top of your regular television viewing. Many would-be fans simply can’t access WWE because they don’t have the means to afford Sky. If the WWE were savvy, they’d be opening up potentially a whole new audience by making WWE content available at a more accessible digital distribution and price point. The issue is of course, Sky would immediately feel undermined – hence our belief that it will be some sort of mutual tie-in.
You might say that the user experience would be more natural if the UK Network was separate from Sky. It would be a truer form of the WWE Network, more in tune with the US version.
Could The Network Launch Without PPV’s?
One way the WWE Network could launch without Sky is if it was just an on-demand service. That would mean you get the Network channel and all the historical content in the ‘over the top’ digital way. For pay per view however, you’d still have to go to Sky Box Office.
It takes away the key PPV selling point, but at least gives WWE the power to be more in control of their own destiny. They can then push the Network as a means to watch WWE’s greatest moments, with the platform available to download on your console or smartphone. You wouldn’t need Sky and could watch in more places and at a cheaper price. The question is, would the Network be half as desirable without the monthly pay per views? Probably not. Which leads us to think WWE will probably do the Sky tie-in, which would then allow pay per view to be a factor.
How Much Will UK Fans Have To Pay For The WWE Network?
The Network is a very reasonable $9.99 in the United States. As a price point in the UK, we would expect that to be dearer. If the Network is going to be Sky based, then a price of £14.99 seems about right. That’s the cost of current Sky WWE pay per views, so it makes sense that Sky and WWE would keep that price point. You’d also be getting the on demand content and presumably a channel, so it does still represent good value for money.
However… just to get Raw and Smackdown, via Sky Sports, is already a subscription cost for WWE fans. Some Sky bills are already near or above the £80 mark. Are fans really going to want to shell out more for another ‘channel’? That’s the problem WWE will face by partnering with Sky. They could of course just make the Network available as part of the Sky Sports package, but then how would Sky or WWE make money from that? It’s way more likely that they charge in the region of £10 to £15 as an additional subscription.
Conversely, if the package is separate from Sky, a £9.99 price point seems certain – particularly if the PPV’s won’t be included.
Was This Actually All Worked Out Months Ago?
When WWE signed a new pay per view deal with Sky this past January, we did wonder if it was in fact a WWE Network deal. The new terms meant that Sky would be broadcasting all 12 WWE pay per views on sky box office in 2015. That sounded like an awfully bad deal for Sky if WWE were then going to launch the Network. Both parties already knew at that point there’d be a UK Network release by 2015. So why would they make a deal for pay per views?
You also have the fact that WWE has stated they don’t expect any pay per view revenues for next year. Doesn’t that contradict the fact that they have the Sky box office deal? Does that mean they expect to make not one single sale on the box office? Or more realistically, was that Sky pay per view deal actually just the Network deal? We believe so.
Should I Just Keep The US Version?
Let’s be honest, many of us in the UK have already subscribed to the WWE Network. It wasn’t hard to simply use a service like unblock.us to gain access to the service. So what do we do now that there’ll be a UK version?
The answer will probably be to keep the US version. It’s hard to envision that the UK will launch with the exact same breadth of content as the US version. It will also be more expensive. The US Network currently costs around £6, it’s hard to imagine that the UK version will be that cheap. Sky are going to want to charge in line with £15 to match what they would have charged on traditional pay per view. Even if it is solely digital, WWE are going to go with a price point of £9.99 we believe.
You simply can’t beat the ease and price of buying the US Network. Nevertheless, given WWE’s popularity here in Britain, we expect the WWE UK Network will defintely be a success. Whatever form it ends up presented in, the interest is definitely there from the passionate UK fans.
So after all of that my assumption is that the WWE Network will launch in the UK in conjunction with SKY. It'll be a combination of a dedicated channel and a large library of on demand content. It'll cost £14.99 per month, which will include the monthly PPV on SKY Box Office. I think it's one of the reasons why SKY Box Office, previously only available on SKY and Virgin Media, has launched on Talk Talk. This would make the WWE Network available to 15.5 million pay TV households in the UK. It will be another valuable weapon for SKY in their battle with BT.
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