Then here is a pic of Jimmy Jacobs after his match with JT Lomatta on sunday. He took a back suplex off the top rope and landed right on the top of his head. Scary shit.
TNA Wrestling, coming to a high school/community center near you....
January 3: Batesville, Arkansas (Live Event) Southside High School 7:30 p.m. Tickets are on sale at Mark Martin Ford or online at ShopTNA.com/tickets Tickets on sale Friday, December 6
January 4: Jonesboro, Arkansas (Live Event) Earl Bell Community Center 7:30 p.m. Tickets are on sale at Front Page Cafe or online at ShopTNA.com/tickets Tickets on sale Friday, December 6
January 5: Jackson, Tennessee (Live Event) Jackson Northside High School 6 p.m. Tickets are on sale at HaliHannigan's Cupcakery or online at ShopTNA.com/tickets Tickets on sale Friday, December 6
WWE Aims to Pin Down Rich New TV Rights Deals (EXCLUSIVE)
"If USA Network wants to retain its biggest hit, “Monday Night Raw,” it’s gonna have to pay.
Next month, for the first time, WWE will shop the rights to “Raw” and all of its shows at the same time — a list of weekly series that includes Syfy’s “Friday Night SmackDown,” “Main Event” on ION Television, the CW’s “Saturday Morning Slam” and reality show “Total Divas” on E!
The goal is to significantly increase the $139.5 million in TV licensing fees WWE earns each year for its shows, and attempt to get closer to the rich network deals that sports organizations like the NBA, NHL NASCAR, as well as soccer command.
In the past, deals for WWE’s series were brokered individually on a staggered timeline, usually every three to four years or so. But WWE has spent nearly two years quietly lining up rights to expire simultaneously in an effort to secure higher fees and appease shareholders who have grown increasingly frustrated that the company’s TV deals are not worth more at a time when live “event” programming is more valuable than ever.
By offering up all its shows at once, “We’re letting the marketplace determine if it’s interested in all or pieces,” says Michelle Wilson, WWE’s chief revenue and marketing officer. The company also is tackling a self-inflicted perception problem. For years, it’s touted its over-the-top characters and soap opera storylines ahead of the live aspect of the year-round action in the ring.
“We’ve had to evolve our thinking,” Wilson says. “We are clearly entertainment-based, but if you think about the characteristics of our brand, it’s live action, and that’s sports. We want to be compensated for a live audience, since live content is getting a very significant premium in the marketplace.”
The company cites Nascar’s impressive dealmaking this summer as an example. The racing league secured a new 10-year deal with NBC and Fox worth $820 million a year. And that increase came in the face of declining ratings for many of its races. WWE argues that “Raw” and “SmackDown” alone are just as attractive, with a rabid fanbase that’s helped build networks, and its series are diverse in ethnicity and age.
Combined, the shows air 156 episodes a year that average a 2.2 household rating. Nascar airs 154 races and averages a 1.38 household rating among viewers, who are 92% white and over 50. WWE’s audience is far more diverse and broken out fairly evenly among age groups. A selling point is that 44% of them are under 34.
That’s helped boost gross ratings points, something Madison Avenue keeps a close eye on. Another plus for WWE: 90% of “Raw’s” and “SmackDown’s” viewers watch the shows live or within the next day, making the shows DVR proof. (Think NBC’s latest stunt with “The Sound of Music”.)
“The value of live content has gone from becoming important to essential,” says George Barrios, WWE’s chief strategy and financial officer. “As a network, if you don’t have live must-see content your existence comes into question.”
To make its show more attractive, WWE is considering a live version of its two-hour “SmackDown,” which currently is taped on Tuesday before its Friday airing. To do that, costs to produce the series would increase, due to scheduling, and the show would likely need to move to a new night. But WWE would be willing to make the switch in return for a better fee for the series.
WWE added a third hour to “Raw” last year (starting with its 1,000th episode) in an effort to expand storylines, increase exposure for its stars, but also enable USA to generate more advertising revenue after three-hour specials performed well.
The Stamford, Conn.-based company ideally would like to partner with a conglomerate that owns a variety of channels the way NBCU currently airs many of WWE’s shows. Along with “Raw,” “SmackDown” and “Total Divas,” specials like “Tribute to the Troops” and a shortened version of its annual “WrestleMania” pay-per-view also air on NBC. WWE already has reached out to or held meetings with the expected list of players who own a variety of channels hungry for programming, including A&E, Disney, Viacom, 21st Century Fox and Discovery.
Negotiations and bids can’t take place until Feb. 15, when NBCU accepts or rejects WWE’s final offer; other bids are due Feb. 28, with WWE set to select its media partners by March 4. Should a new deal with another conglom happen, WWE’s shows wouldn’t move to a new network until October.
Yet even as WWE makes the rounds of media congloms, industry insiders say they believe there is no way that NBCUniversal will loosen its grip on WWE. “Monday Night Raw” is a huge contributor to USA’s bottom line and weekly ratings stats; without “Raw” on its schedule, USA Network would drop from first place to as low as No. 4 among basic entertainment networks, costing the company premium advertising dollars. Syfy would also lose a sizable audience without “SmackDown,” which has raised viewership by 35% for the network. “Divas” is a hit for E! but has perhaps has benefitted WWE more, given that it’s helped the company attract more women, which currently make up around 35% of its audience.
The third hour of “Raw” is up 44% vs. programming that aired in the timeslot last year. “Saturday Morning Slam” is up 34% for the CW, “Main Event” is up 25% for ION and “Divas” has boosted ratings 166% for E!
WWE’s pay-per-views, including annual juggernauts “WrestleMania” and “SummerSlam” won’t be part of the negotiations, since those will air on the company’s new subscription-based WWE Network, which will also include original series and access to the company’s VOD library. Launch plans for the channel, which WWE sees as its own NFL Network, have yet to be revealed. However, WWE maintains that it could break even on the venture if it can sign up 800,000 to 1 million subscribers willing to pay around $10 to $14 per month.
Digital next-day rights to shows would also become part of any new licensing deal with a TV network, costing Hulu Plus the programming it currently airs. In the past, TV Everywhere wasn’t a hot topic for networks when WWE inked its current network deals.
“Partners who pay licensing fees are now expecting to get the TV Everywhere distribution rights,” Barrios says.
As it tries to land a better deal, WWE is ready to flex some of its marketing muscle, eager to show off how it’s been able to attract more high-profile advertisers to sponsor its PPVs and tie-in with its wrestlers, known as Superstars. Those now include General Motors, Ford Motor Co., Disney, Doritos, DreamWorks, Paramount, Kmart, Subway, Taco Bell, Colgate, Frito-Lay, Schick and Mattel — attractive to any network, since the channels are the entities that sell and earn the ad dollars. WWE controls PPV sponsorships, digital ad sales and talent appearances.
Other revenue streams also must be taken into consideration. WWE’s social media teams also connect with millions of fans daily, while its magazine, websites, toy lines, YouTube channel (for which it produces 10 to 12 hours of original programming a year) and videogames are popular — and ratings rise for shows that feature WWE’s talent roster, including John Cena (see above), as guest stars.
“WWE is a proven ratings juggernaut, making USA Network No. 1 for the past eight years and delivering more average viewers than every sports property, with the exception of the NFL,” said WWE chairman and CEO Vince McMahon in a statement to Variety. “Given the increasing demand for live, DVR-proof content, we believe the market will value our programming significantly above where we’ve been in the past.”
Adds Wilson of the upcoming negotiations: “This is new territory we’re in. All of the things we’ve done over the last five years have helped raise the profile of our brand and there’s recognition from the marketplace of what we deliver. Now it’s up to the marketplace to tell us if we’re worth it.”
STAMFORD, Conn., January 8, 2014 – WWE Network, the first-ever 24/7 streaming network, will launch live in the U.S. on Monday, February 24, featuring all 12 WWE live pay-per-view events – including WrestleMania® – valued at more than $600 per year for $9.99 per month with a 6-month commitment. WWE Network will also include groundbreaking original programming, reality shows, documentaries, classic matches and more than 1,500 hours of video on demand at launch.
Fans can subscribe to WWE Network beginning at 9 am ET on Monday, February 24 at WWE.com, and for a limited time will be offered a free one week trial. WWE Network, the first 24/7 network delivered directly to fans through over-the-top digital distribution, will be available on desktops and laptops via WWE.com. WWE Network will also be available through the WWE App on: Amazon's Kindle Fire devices; Android devices such as Samsung Galaxy; iOS devices such as Apple iPad and iPhone; Roku streaming devices; Sony PlayStation® 3 and Sony PlayStation® 4; and Xbox 360. Availability on additional devices, including Xbox One and select Smart TVs, will follow this summer.
"Today is a historic day for WWE as we transform and reimagine how we deliver our premium live content and 24/7 programming directly to our fans around the world," said Vince McMahon, WWE Chairman & Chief Executive Officer. "WWE Network will provide transformative growth for our company and unprecedented value for our fans."
WWE Network will also offer fans a revolutionary second screen experience for all original programming and live events via the WWE App, similar to the interactive fan experience currently available for flagship TV programs Raw® and SmackDown®
WWE collaborated with MLB Advanced Media (MLBAM) to build a powerful solution for delivering 24/7 WWE content to fans. MLBAM will provide its industry-leading technology services, including video streaming infrastructure, application development and operational support for reliable cross-platform distribution.
MLBAM has been at the forefront of streaming technology for more than a decade, powering its own live video subscription product since 2002. Last year, MLBAM managed live video content for more than 25,000 events, covering 80,000 hours of broadcast programming, across its sports and entertainment partners.
"We applaud WWE for this bold, timely and strategic move to fully optimize the power and potential of live entertainment," said Bob Bowman, President and CEO, MLBAM. "We are proud to work with WWE to help provide its millions of loyal fans with unencumbered access to distinctive and engaging live content across the devices they use most."
WWE Network is scheduled to launch in the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, Hong Kong and the Nordics by the end of 2014/early 2015.
Programming Highlights
WWE Network will officially launch with the live Monday Night Raw Post-Show on Monday, February 24 at 11:06 pm ET, and fans will instantly have access to the most comprehensive WWE video-on-demand library upon signing up. In addition to live Raw and SmackDown pre- and post-shows every week, new programming including a live studio show and additional on-demand content will be added in the future.
Tonight RAW should be taken very seriously by creative. There's no competition. So they really need to come out swinging as the Rumble's two weeks away. The company has a ton of momentum right now after announcing the WWE Network. People are talking. They need to deliver tonight.
The HOF headliner is expected to be announced tonight as tickets go on sale this Sat. I'm expecting it to be Warrior.
Comments
[-X
Holy shit even with just 12 people announced that is fucking badass. Wish I could go.
January 3: Batesville, Arkansas (Live Event)
Southside High School 7:30 p.m.
Tickets are on sale at Mark Martin Ford or online at ShopTNA.com/tickets
Tickets on sale Friday, December 6
January 4: Jonesboro, Arkansas (Live Event)
Earl Bell Community Center 7:30 p.m.
Tickets are on sale at Front Page Cafe or online at ShopTNA.com/tickets
Tickets on sale Friday, December 6
January 5: Jackson, Tennessee (Live Event)
Jackson Northside High School 6 p.m.
Tickets are on sale at HaliHannigan's Cupcakery or online at ShopTNA.com/tickets
Tickets on sale Friday, December 6
WWE Aims to Pin Down Rich New TV Rights Deals (EXCLUSIVE)
"If USA Network wants to retain its biggest hit, “Monday Night Raw,” it’s gonna have to pay.
Next month, for the first time, WWE will shop the rights to “Raw” and all of its shows at the same time — a list of weekly series that includes Syfy’s “Friday Night SmackDown,” “Main Event” on ION Television, the CW’s “Saturday Morning Slam” and reality show “Total Divas” on E!
The goal is to significantly increase the $139.5 million in TV licensing fees WWE earns each year for its shows, and attempt to get closer to the rich network deals that sports organizations like the NBA, NHL NASCAR, as well as soccer command.
In the past, deals for WWE’s series were brokered individually on a staggered timeline, usually every three to four years or so. But WWE has spent nearly two years quietly lining up rights to expire simultaneously in an effort to secure higher fees and appease shareholders who have grown increasingly frustrated that the company’s TV deals are not worth more at a time when live “event” programming is more valuable than ever.
By offering up all its shows at once, “We’re letting the marketplace determine if it’s interested in all or pieces,” says Michelle Wilson, WWE’s chief revenue and marketing officer. The company also is tackling a self-inflicted perception problem. For years, it’s touted its over-the-top characters and soap opera storylines ahead of the live aspect of the year-round action in the ring.
“We’ve had to evolve our thinking,” Wilson says. “We are clearly entertainment-based, but if you think about the characteristics of our brand, it’s live action, and that’s sports. We want to be compensated for a live audience, since live content is getting a very significant premium in the marketplace.”
The company cites Nascar’s impressive dealmaking this summer as an example. The racing league secured a new 10-year deal with NBC and Fox worth $820 million a year. And that increase came in the face of declining ratings for many of its races. WWE argues that “Raw” and “SmackDown” alone are just as attractive, with a rabid fanbase that’s helped build networks, and its series are diverse in ethnicity and age.
Combined, the shows air 156 episodes a year that average a 2.2 household rating. Nascar airs 154 races and averages a 1.38 household rating among viewers, who are 92% white and over 50. WWE’s audience is far more diverse and broken out fairly evenly among age groups. A selling point is that 44% of them are under 34.
That’s helped boost gross ratings points, something Madison Avenue keeps a close eye on. Another plus for WWE: 90% of “Raw’s” and “SmackDown’s” viewers watch the shows live or within the next day, making the shows DVR proof. (Think NBC’s latest stunt with “The Sound of Music”.)
“The value of live content has gone from becoming important to essential,” says George Barrios, WWE’s chief strategy and financial officer. “As a network, if you don’t have live must-see content your existence comes into question.”
To make its show more attractive, WWE is considering a live version of its two-hour “SmackDown,” which currently is taped on Tuesday before its Friday airing. To do that, costs to produce the series would increase, due to scheduling, and the show would likely need to move to a new night. But WWE would be willing to make the switch in return for a better fee for the series.
WWE added a third hour to “Raw” last year (starting with its 1,000th episode) in an effort to expand storylines, increase exposure for its stars, but also enable USA to generate more advertising revenue after three-hour specials performed well.
The Stamford, Conn.-based company ideally would like to partner with a conglomerate that owns a variety of channels the way NBCU currently airs many of WWE’s shows. Along with “Raw,” “SmackDown” and “Total Divas,” specials like “Tribute to the Troops” and a shortened version of its annual “WrestleMania” pay-per-view also air on NBC. WWE already has reached out to or held meetings with the expected list of players who own a variety of channels hungry for programming, including A&E, Disney, Viacom, 21st Century Fox and Discovery.
Negotiations and bids can’t take place until Feb. 15, when NBCU accepts or rejects WWE’s final offer; other bids are due Feb. 28, with WWE set to select its media partners by March 4. Should a new deal with another conglom happen, WWE’s shows wouldn’t move to a new network until October.
Yet even as WWE makes the rounds of media congloms, industry insiders say they believe there is no way that NBCUniversal will loosen its grip on WWE. “Monday Night Raw” is a huge contributor to USA’s bottom line and weekly ratings stats; without “Raw” on its schedule, USA Network would drop from first place to as low as No. 4 among basic entertainment networks, costing the company premium advertising dollars. Syfy would also lose a sizable audience without “SmackDown,” which has raised viewership by 35% for the network. “Divas” is a hit for E! but has perhaps has benefitted WWE more, given that it’s helped the company attract more women, which currently make up around 35% of its audience.
The third hour of “Raw” is up 44% vs. programming that aired in the timeslot last year. “Saturday Morning Slam” is up 34% for the CW, “Main Event” is up 25% for ION and “Divas” has boosted ratings 166% for E!
WWE’s pay-per-views, including annual juggernauts “WrestleMania” and “SummerSlam” won’t be part of the negotiations, since those will air on the company’s new subscription-based WWE Network, which will also include original series and access to the company’s VOD library. Launch plans for the channel, which WWE sees as its own NFL Network, have yet to be revealed. However, WWE maintains that it could break even on the venture if it can sign up 800,000 to 1 million subscribers willing to pay around $10 to $14 per month.
Digital next-day rights to shows would also become part of any new licensing deal with a TV network, costing Hulu Plus the programming it currently airs. In the past, TV Everywhere wasn’t a hot topic for networks when WWE inked its current network deals.
“Partners who pay licensing fees are now expecting to get the TV Everywhere distribution rights,” Barrios says.
As it tries to land a better deal, WWE is ready to flex some of its marketing muscle, eager to show off how it’s been able to attract more high-profile advertisers to sponsor its PPVs and tie-in with its wrestlers, known as Superstars. Those now include General Motors, Ford Motor Co., Disney, Doritos, DreamWorks, Paramount, Kmart, Subway, Taco Bell, Colgate, Frito-Lay, Schick and Mattel — attractive to any network, since the channels are the entities that sell and earn the ad dollars. WWE controls PPV sponsorships, digital ad sales and talent appearances.
Other revenue streams also must be taken into consideration. WWE’s social media teams also connect with millions of fans daily, while its magazine, websites, toy lines, YouTube channel (for which it produces 10 to 12 hours of original programming a year) and videogames are popular — and ratings rise for shows that feature WWE’s talent roster, including John Cena (see above), as guest stars.
“WWE is a proven ratings juggernaut, making USA Network No. 1 for the past eight years and delivering more average viewers than every sports property, with the exception of the NFL,” said WWE chairman and CEO Vince McMahon in a statement to Variety. “Given the increasing demand for live, DVR-proof content, we believe the market will value our programming significantly above where we’ve been in the past.”
Adds Wilson of the upcoming negotiations: “This is new territory we’re in. All of the things we’ve done over the last five years have helped raise the profile of our brand and there’s recognition from the marketplace of what we deliver. Now it’s up to the marketplace to tell us if we’re worth it.”
- Variety"
http://variety.com/2013/tv/news/wwe-aims-to-pin-down-rich-new-tv-rights-deals-exclusive-1200966579/
STAMFORD, Conn., January 8, 2014 – WWE Network, the first-ever 24/7 streaming network, will launch live in the U.S. on Monday, February 24, featuring all 12 WWE live pay-per-view events – including WrestleMania® – valued at more than $600 per year for $9.99 per month with a 6-month commitment. WWE Network will also include groundbreaking original programming, reality shows, documentaries, classic matches and more than 1,500 hours of video on demand at launch.
Fans can subscribe to WWE Network beginning at 9 am ET on Monday, February 24 at WWE.com, and for a limited time will be offered a free one week trial. WWE Network, the first 24/7 network delivered directly to fans through over-the-top digital distribution, will be available on desktops and laptops via WWE.com. WWE Network will also be available through the WWE App on: Amazon's Kindle Fire devices; Android devices such as Samsung Galaxy; iOS devices such as Apple iPad and iPhone; Roku streaming devices; Sony PlayStation® 3 and Sony PlayStation® 4; and Xbox 360. Availability on additional devices, including Xbox One and select Smart TVs, will follow this summer.
"Today is a historic day for WWE as we transform and reimagine how we deliver our premium live content and 24/7 programming directly to our fans around the world," said Vince McMahon, WWE Chairman & Chief Executive Officer. "WWE Network will provide transformative growth for our company and unprecedented value for our fans."
WWE Network will also offer fans a revolutionary second screen experience for all original programming and live events via the WWE App, similar to the interactive fan experience currently available for flagship TV programs Raw® and SmackDown®
WWE collaborated with MLB Advanced Media (MLBAM) to build a powerful solution for delivering 24/7 WWE content to fans. MLBAM will provide its industry-leading technology services, including video streaming infrastructure, application development and operational support for reliable cross-platform distribution.
MLBAM has been at the forefront of streaming technology for more than a decade, powering its own live video subscription product since 2002. Last year, MLBAM managed live video content for more than 25,000 events, covering 80,000 hours of broadcast programming, across its sports and entertainment partners.
"We applaud WWE for this bold, timely and strategic move to fully optimize the power and potential of live entertainment," said Bob Bowman, President and CEO, MLBAM. "We are proud to work with WWE to help provide its millions of loyal fans with unencumbered access to distinctive and engaging live content across the devices they use most."
WWE Network is scheduled to launch in the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, Hong Kong and the Nordics by the end of 2014/early 2015.
Programming Highlights
WWE Network will officially launch with the live Monday Night Raw Post-Show on Monday, February 24 at 11:06 pm ET, and fans will instantly have access to the most comprehensive WWE video-on-demand library upon signing up. In addition to live Raw and SmackDown pre- and post-shows every week, new programming including a live studio show and additional on-demand content will be added in the future.
At launch, WWE Network will include:
All 12 Live Pay-Per-View Events.
The HOF headliner is expected to be announced tonight as tickets go on sale this Sat. I'm expecting it to be Warrior.