WWE Network Update

In something of a surprise, WWE is in negotiations with at least one investment company about partnering up for the network. The only thing we were told is that people will be stunned when they find out the current programming vision, which has changed greatly. WWE rarely takes in partners in its ventures because Vince doesn’t like answering to other people and has a joke about how “We don’t play well with others.” WWE is pushing as a positive that it would have extremely low programming costs compared to networks since the bulk of the programming would be their old wrestling tape library that they own and don’t have to buy any licensing fees for. Still, people have questioned if they can really keep the costs that low and whether the pay model would work when there is an overload of free weekly programming to the point that the vast majority of the audience doesn’t even watch anything but Raw and Smackdown. They did end up taking in partners at various times in the movie business and the XFL was a joint venture with NBC, but most of their outside activities have been with their own money.