Longest Running Triple H Fansite
Since 2006

November 20, 2015

WWE Network Breaks Into Top Five Of Streaming Services


There’s no need for Netflix to watch out, but WWE is building up some steam with its streaming service.

WWE issued a press release Thursday touting the WWE Network as a top-five Over-the-top (OTT) streaming service, based on a report by Parks Associates, a market research and consulting firm.

WWE Network ranked higher than both NFL Game Pass and HBO Now on a top 10 list based on subscriptions. The complete rankings are below:

Netflix
Amazon Video
Hulu
MLB.TV
WWE Network
HBO Now
Crunchyroll
NFL Game Pass
The Blaze
SlingTV

The report noted that 40% of OTT video services in the United States were launched within the past two years—WWE Network launched in 2014—while 25% came out in 2015.

In its third-quarter financial report last month, WWE said that the addition of original content and additional live specials helped lift the subscriber count to a healthy 1.2 million.

That’s a long way from Netflix, which is closing in on 70 million subscribers, but WWE trails only MLB.TV in the sports genre. Parks said the WWE holds a distinct advantage over other sports programming, with its ability to resist “seasonality common to other sports OTT video service,” and as a result it continues to add subscribers. In other words, WWE’s lack of an offseason allows the promotion to add subscribers throughout the year without fear of a significant lull.

Many have called for WWE to explore a possible offseason for the safety of its wrestlers, who only get a break when they get hurt. Major injuries to top stars Seth Rollins and Randy Orton in 2015 add credence to that claim. But with WWE’s non-stop schedule adding a boost to subscribers, in addition to the company’s inherent next-man-up philosophy, an offseason is virtually out of the question.

source: forbes.com

 photo i_zps0ebed5ab.jpg
Oderint Dum Metuant: Let Them Hate As Long As They Fear