WWE Network and what it means.

SeatownJay

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WWE recently launched the WWE Network, and if it succeeds it could be a game-changer for the way sports leagues provide their content to the fans. For those of you who aren't aware of the WWE Network, it's an internet-based subscription service that, for a nominal monthly fee ($9.95/month with a six-month commitment), provides live shows, "scripted reality" shows, pay-per-views, and almost all of their back catalog. Additional information can be found here.

If this proves to be successful, it is easy to see the NFL, NBA, MLB, and NHL looking into similar packages.
 

kidhawk

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SeatownJay said:
WWE recently launched the WWE Network, and if it succeeds it could be a game-changer for the way sports leagues provide their content to the fans. For those of you who aren't aware of the WWE Network, it's an internet-based subscription service that, for a nominal monthly fee ($9.95/month with a six-month commitment), provides live shows, "scripted reality" shows, pay-per-views, and almost all of their back catalog. Additional information can be found here.

Major leagues like NFL, NBA, MLB & NHL already have streaming packages available and they also all have their own actual television networks as well. WWE is not exactly a leader here IMO
 
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SeatownJay

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kidhawk":3mp6oy4d said:
Major leagues like NFL, NBA, MLB & NHL already have streaming packages available and they also all have their own actual television networks as well. WWE is not exactly a leader here IMO
If this proves successful, imagine the NFL moving Sunday Ticket off DirecTV and offering it themselves through their streaming service, along with all of the NFL Films catalog. Imagine the next time they're in negotiations with with the cable or satellite companies over the NFL Network broadcast rights and being able to say "give us the rate we want or we'll pull our product completely and offer it directly over the internet." Imagine being able to watch Super Bowl 48 again, any time you want. This would be Netflix for sports.
 

kidhawk

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SeatownJay":1yvm3yr8 said:
kidhawk":1yvm3yr8 said:
Major leagues like NFL, NBA, MLB & NHL already have streaming packages available and they also all have their own actual television networks as well. WWE is not exactly a leader here IMO
If this proves successful, imagine the NFL moving Sunday Ticket off DirecTV and offering it themselves through their streaming service, along with all of the NFL Films catalog. Imagine the next time they're in negotiations with with the cable or satellite companies over the NFL Network broadcast rights and being able to say "give us the rate we want or we'll pull our product completely and offer it directly over the internet." Imagine being able to watch Super Bowl 48 again, any time you want. This would be Netflix for sports.

The NFL already has this cabability...I realize that WWE is huge in certain facets, but it's nowhere near the cash cow the NFL is and thus doesn't get the kind of television contracts. The NFL already pretty much gets the top dollar for their programming from the networks. DirecTV just paid $1 Billion per year to continue with the NFL Package. This coupled with Network coverage and the new cash cow "RedZone" coverage that cable companies are getting is really increasing NFL revenues. If they were to make a complete switch to internet, they'd lose more than they gain IMO.

Personally, I've always wanted an internet option for the NFL, but honestly, I don't see how they could make anymore profit from it than they already do, and TV contracts continue to rise.

I think the Game Pass that they are currently selling directly is a good middle ground. We can't watch live games, but we can watch all the games and with the right package, you can pick and choose all sorts of games from the past as well as current ones.

Honestly right now, nobody has better coverage than the NFL. They have pretty much got every market covered between radio, tv, cable, satellite and internet. You can choose your media format and there is a way to watch and listen to every single game out there.

I don't watch WWE myself, but I know people who do and those fans are pretty loyal. I think they'll turn a good profit on this set up once all the kinks are worked out. I did hear that they had issues (I assume they got them fixed but don't know) when they first started it up recently, because they couldn't handle the amount of traffic they were getting, so it sounds like they are attracting their base and it will likely be a success for them. I just think the NFL has a pretty good thing going for it right now. They pretty much are the puppet masters to network/cable/satellite companies and they get what they want.
 
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SeatownJay

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sutz":28ynwhhu said:
WWE is a sport?

Who knew? :229031_shrug:
This is meant to be a discussion about how WWE's new model for content delivery can be adopted/adapted for the sports leagues. Feel free to participate.
 
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SeatownJay

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kidhawk":3p2yzu1n said:
SeatownJay":3p2yzu1n said:
kidhawk":3p2yzu1n said:
Major leagues like NFL, NBA, MLB & NHL already have streaming packages available and they also all have their own actual television networks as well. WWE is not exactly a leader here IMO
If this proves successful, imagine the NFL moving Sunday Ticket off DirecTV and offering it themselves through their streaming service, along with all of the NFL Films catalog. Imagine the next time they're in negotiations with with the cable or satellite companies over the NFL Network broadcast rights and being able to say "give us the rate we want or we'll pull our product completely and offer it directly over the internet." Imagine being able to watch Super Bowl 48 again, any time you want. This would be Netflix for sports.

The NFL already has this cabability...I realize that WWE is huge in certain facets, but it's nowhere near the cash cow the NFL is and thus doesn't get the kind of television contracts. The NFL already pretty much gets the top dollar for their programming from the networks. DirecTV just paid $1 Billion per year to continue with the NFL Package. This coupled with Network coverage and the new cash cow "RedZone" coverage that cable companies are getting is really increasing NFL revenues. If they were to make a complete switch to internet, they'd lose more than they gain IMO.

Personally, I've always wanted an internet option for the NFL, but honestly, I don't see how they could make anymore profit from it than they already do, and TV contracts continue to rise.

I think the Game Pass that they are currently selling directly is a good middle ground. We can't watch live games, but we can watch all the games and with the right package, you can pick and choose all sorts of games from the past as well as current ones.

Honestly right now, nobody has better coverage than the NFL. They have pretty much got every market covered between radio, tv, cable, satellite and internet. You can choose your media format and there is a way to watch and listen to every single game out there.

I don't have the NFL GamePass product, aren't the games only available for limited time? Meaning you can't go back and watch the '05 NFC Championship game for instance. Nor is the NFL Films catalog available for on demand streaming.

Aside from the NFL, I know MLB offers a package that allows you to stream their games live online (MLB actually worked with WWE in the development of WWE Network), and MLS has MLSLive that lets you stream matches, but I'm not aware of the NBA or NHL offering anything like that. Combine that possibility with the tons of historical content they can offer and I believe that they will start to look at ways to offer more robust on-demand streaming options. At least my hope is that they start looking into this.
 

kidhawk

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While GamePass itself is live content for those outside the US, there is a feature for us here that is called Game Rewind. They don't offer a complete history, but their archive does date back to 2009, and games become available shortly after they air live. This still allows everyone who wants to watch on their schedule the ability to pay for that, and those who want to watch it for "free" on tv (I use the term free very lightly) and the NFL gets paid for all of it rather handsomely.

I'm sure the NFL could easily stream all the live content if they so chose, and they already do for people outside the US but with the BILLIONS of dollars in tv revenue, the NFL has it pretty good the way they are set up now.

Also, the Game rewind includes the all-22 film that people have used on these boards to break down games for us as well. I do see sports leagues utilizing the internet more and more in the near future, but I just can't see the NFL using it for any live content as long as they are getting increasing revenue from the media for the rights.
 

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Does the US have a provider that lets you watch the Super Bowl live on your smart phone or tablet while traveling on a bus or subway yet?
 

kidhawk

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korboko":2n3qh203 said:
Does the US have a provider that lets you watch the Super Bowl live on your smart phone or tablet while traveling on a bus or subway yet?

I know they stream the super bowl live every year, but I've never tried to watch it online or on a mobile device. I'm generally in front of a nice tv somewhere
 
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SeatownJay

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kidhawk":32ctw14o said:
korboko":32ctw14o said:
Does the US have a provider that lets you watch the Super Bowl live on your smart phone or tablet while traveling on a bus or subway yet?

I know they stream the super bowl live every year, but I've never tried to watch it online or on a mobile device. I'm generally in front of a nice tv somewhere
It's up to the network broadcasting the game if the Super Bowl will be streamed online. And, depending on the network, mobile devices may not be supported. For instance, to stream content on NBC's mobile app, you have to subscribe to a cable or satellite service that includes NBCSN.
 

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After reading the question it made me wonder if the NFL was doing anything at all into moving into the mobile market. I found this article which seemed pretty interesting (at least if you're a verizon customer

Dated June 2013

NFL executives received an earful from their TV partners when the league informed them of the plan to sell Verizon the rights to stream all NFL games to their mobile phone users starting in 2014.

“When I pushed back, they asked me how my TV ratings were,” one exasperated TV executive said last week after the NFL announced the whopping four-year, $1 billion extension of its NFL rights deal. The deal represents a 40 percent increase over the four-year, $720 million deal Verizon signed in 2010 that allowed it to stream NBC’s “Sunday Night Football,” ESPN’s “Monday Night Football” and NFL Network’s “Thursday Night Football.”

With the new deal, Verizon gets access to the Sunday afternoon schedules from CBS and Fox for in-market streaming as well as the playoffs. The deal also allows Verizon to develop an NFL app and pick up the tab for wiring many league stadiums for increased connectivity.

http://www.sportsbusinessdaily.com/Jour ... rizon.aspx
 

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My buddies just got this, not that big into wrestling anymore...but damn there are a lot of memories from being a kid to be found.

There's a load of stuff to get into, and if the NFL did this they would make a killing! You're telling me I could go back and watch some of the greatest games and athletes?!

Sign me up.
 

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Verizon will probably make up that money easily in gigabite sales. I am currently unlimited with my grandfather clause but the newer sales will grossly increase profits for them when they stream all the games live. I can easily bust the 10GB for family of 4 deal they have if I want to. I do 7gb to 8gb by myself and with no family (cept my cat). I will be streaming some of the March madness as I want to watch some of the games. And one more thing to think about, all the games are now going HD which will increase the GB downloads heavily. Stuttering downloads will be more common in my perspective. Cheers.
 

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I would love it, and pay a nice monthly sum, if the NFL uploaded their entire content library online. I'm not asking for an all-22, but having the television broadcasts from every game for the past thirty or forty years would be awesome. I spend enough time on youtube watching classic games, this would be heaven to me. It also would fill the gap on youtube of a complete lack of old Seahawks games. I'd be 20 a month easy for something like that.
 
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