When I heard this news, I immediately had a feeling in the pit of my stomach. My concern was solely around one question: how will this affect me? The WWE Network has changed my life for the happier in 2014, and I continued to wonder if Vince will increase the cost to the subscription now. Or will he trim the current roster of Superstars down? Could he even fire The Authority?! These questions and several others bounced back and forth in my head after hearing the news.
It's hard to imagine what I would do if I were in Vince's predicament. However, I can think of a few solutions. I would immediately start planning for the next "RAW 1000" style gimmick. Raw 1000 sold 18,218 tickets to fans and broke records in viewership. It was the highest rated WWE show in 10 years, and was viewed by over 6 million people. One of the fundamentals of being a wrestling promoter is selling large volumes of tickets. The reality is that on numerous occasions, Vince has proved to us that he could do just that. Raw 1000 took place on July 23, 2012. Perhaps WWE should start planning the next Friday Night SmackDown event that will draw record ratings and attendance?
If I was Vince I would increase the price in my brand-new product, the WWE Network even though I hate to admit that. Currently, members pay $9.99 a month for full access to WWE's archives of footage which includes historic and new material. In my opinion, $9.99 is an exceptionally low price for everything included with the subscription. That was such a brilliant price to tack onto a flagship product in the making because it is such a great deal. However, I believe that Vince can certainly increase the price and continue to grow membership.
If I were Mr. McMahon, I would definitely lean on my roster of WWE Superstars for aid in business development. In the past when McMahon suffered financial woes the wrestlers are who played influential roles which led to the forthcoming success of the company. Let's face it, this isn't Mr. McMahon's first rodeo. Beginning in the early 90's, McMahon was subject to the infamous WWE steroid scandal as mentioned in my personal blog. The WWE primarily was focused on showcasing big muscular Superstars with large bodies prior to the scandal. Wrestlers like Hulk Hogan, The Ultimate Warrior, Ravishing Rick Rude, Mr. Wonderful, Hercules and others seemed to lead the locker room in fan appeal during "The Golden Era." McMahon knew he had to change the climate of his business and decided to lean on Mr. Sharpshooter himself, Bret 'Hitman' Hart. At first, Hart was unorthodox to Vince's style of sports entertainment, but eventually became the main catalyst to the company's growth and success through those trying years. This era was dubbed "The New Generation Era." Together, McMahon and Hart redefined the meaning of pro wrestling and reinvented the wheel in doing so.
I have faith that the McMahons and us—the WWE Universe—will get through this scary time together. Vince didn't make it on the billionaires list by being averse to facing adversity.
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