Alternate Timeline – PPV

By Scott Keith on March 9, 2019

Hey Scott,

So in an alternate timeline where the Network doesn't exist, what kind of PPV buys are the WWE doing with the ratings in the toilet like they are? Or in this alternate timeline are fans being listened to and crap like Baron Corbin isn't being forced on us?

PPV was in a death spiral for WWE even before the Network anyway, so the trend would likely have continued. For example, in 2013 (which is the last year before the Network and the last one where they still reported buyrates to any degree) the only 3 shows to break 200,000 buys were the obvious ones. Everything else topped out at about 180-200, which is like UFC's drop dead baseline number these days. It likely would have continued going down, although people still buy PPV today because not everywhere can access the Network easily. I believe that a normal show now does something like 5000 – 10000 buys, which sounds like TNA numbers but it's free money for WWE, and the last few Wrestlemanias have done about 40K traditional buys. It's just such a drop in the bucket that they don't even bother reporting it as separate income anyway. Basically the Network saved their ass in that regard and it was a brilliant move.

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