Will the WWE network be successful?

The WWE announced a few different things about the WWE network during a conference call a few weeks ago and it provided some interesting information about the streaming network. Most notably, there are only 31,000 more subscribers than previously announced and there are a total of 731,000 subscribers, which is still under the million subscriptions that would reportedly cover the cost of the network. Despite the relentless advertising on WWE programming, the numbers still aren't where the WWE projected them and it seems like the extra price options that were added to try to boost the numbers because adding more content didn't really have a major effect. Essentially, the WWE hasn't made a profit from the network and if they don't find a way to get more subscriptions, you have to wonder if they would shut down the network. It was announced that new subscribers get a month free and that fans can cancel a subscription so they don't have to subscribe to a six month package. Basically, the WWE has done everything they can to get people to at least preview the network so if there's going to be a boost in numbers, it would probably be in the next few months, but why hasn't the network received the subscribers the WWE  projected?

There's not really one answer for it, but looking at the current state of the business and how the perception of the industry has evolved could provide some insight into the situation. On the surface, a 24/7 wrestling network sounds like an ideal product for every wrestling fan, but society isn't exactly demanding all access to sports entertainment. I've said it before and I'll say it again, wrestling has become over exposed and that exposure has led to a shift in the perception of the sport. Before it was common knowledge that pro wrestling was predetermined, the fans had an emotional investment in the product and the emotional investment is what draws money. Without the emotional investment, pro wrestling becomes interchangeable with any form of entertainment and people have nearly unlimited options for entertainment today because of more channels, internet, and other options.

If the fans believe in a product, they will pay to see it and if you look at the top draws, there's a pattern. The fans believed in Stone Cold Steve Austin, Mick Foley, and others. That's not to say that the audience didn't have a clue that wrestling was entertainment because they did, but there was enough kay fabe used that people actually thought Vince McMahon was a tyrant owner. The audience doesn't have to believe everything they watch during a show, but the key is to keep them guessing as to where the line between reality and entertainment. There's a reason the main stream media took notice when CM Punk dropped a pipe bomb because they didn't know if it was a work. Another example is how Daniel Bryan got over with the audience because there was an authenticity to his character and they knew he earned a top spot in the WWE.

The WWE network features a lot of great old school footage, but a major portion of the current WWE audience are younger fans that didn't watch the product during the Attitude Era so it seems as though the company is trying to market the network to an audience that doesn't directly associate with an older product, which could be a reason for the lack luster numbers. Another reason is that most of the fans that watch Raw are casual fans and the network is something more suitable for the die hard fans. It should also be considered that with five hours of original WWE programming on TV every week, some fans might not want to pay for more wrestling. Will the network be a success? Probably, but the number of subscribers certainly make a statement about pro wrestling for the market.