Unfortunately, WWE Network subscription numbers are not where WWE wants them to be. There are a few plans in place to remedy this, such as the company’s recent India expansion initiative. Instead of acquiring new customers, another way they’re looking to get around this issue is simply squeezing more money out of existing customers. It’s a strategy that’s been proven to work in recent years: Tickets to big shows are way up, there is more merch being produced than ever before, and the company seems to be able to subsist on its most hardcore fanbase in lieu of expanding the product’s reach.
There have been rumors of WWE moving to a multi-tiered pricing model for the Network for a while now, and it seems to be gaining some traction. The idea would be some content would only be available to subscribers who fork over an additional couple extra bucks a month. Content being deliberated on to sweeten the pot? “WWE’s version of The Office,” “WWE’s version of Game of Thrones,” and buying other exiting wrestling promotions such as Impact and Ring of Honor.
The survey, sent out by WWE to select Network subscribers, asks about a multitude of new Network content ideas. Perhaps most interesting are "historic and new programming" from TNA/GFW/Impact/whatever-the-fuck-they’re-called-today and Ring of Honor. Also of note is a "TV-14 in-ring show," described as "a ‘new’ weekly version of ECW or other ‘edgy’ new promotion rated TV-14. Tournaments and televised house shows are also on the table.
Does this mean WWE is aggressively looking to purchase Impact Wrestling and/or Ring of Honor? Maybe not, but it’s apparently something they are still mulling over. At least if they bought Impact, we’d finally have the damn Broken Hardys. And hell, maybe we’ll see them in an ECW ring.
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