I mean, apparently UFC is having record profits with a model like this. But every person I know irl has stopped watching their PPVs due to not being able to afford it, and as someone who didn't really care about UFC other than drinking and watching it at friends houses it's effectively not existed for me for years. That's what's gonna happen to wrestling if they go through with this, more money (at least for a while), less visibility.
I suppose it could work if there are enough people that already subscribe to the streaming services, but I can't imagine I'm the only one that has zero intention of following them to whatever streaming service they land on. In the short term, the money may be great for the WWE and UFC, but in the long run?... Are these streaming services even going to be around in 5 or 10 years? And then what for the WWE? Just go back to regular TV or whatever replaces the current streaming model?
Absolutely, I think they are just expecting their die-hards to always support them, their social media to draw in casuals and some other new thing like streaming to come in they can monkeybranch to. But it probably won't work, I don't know any modern UFC fighter, will anyone know their top guys in 10 or so years when they have to come crawling back to free or cheaper options?
Also, when I say 10 years, I'm giving the streaming services every benefit of the doubt. I'd be very surprised if they still exist, under their current model, or at all, in 5 years.
I'm not sure how long the streaming service bubble lasts, either. It seems pretty forced right now by all these companies desperately trying to make it work. I think something like Netflix which is more of an aggregator of content from various sources will be fine, but stuff like HBO Max, Paramount+, Apple TV, Peacock, ESPN, etc. which provide content that is more specific to the parent company's brands, will end up going away or being seriously scaled back.
I can't find the video, and there are so many moments of people getting fucked up in AEW, but he might be talking about that one multi-tag match where one of the Dark Order guys gets knocked out from a double splash. Someone landed on his head and he just lays there unconscious until his partner comes in, drags him by the arm to the corner, then gets back out and tags himself in so they can continue their spots. All of that while the referee (probably Rick Knox since it was a Young Bucks match) is just sitting there doing nothing. I remember the video someone made on /pw showing a side by side when Mercedes Martinez gets knocked out from a kick and the ref stops it immediately then they show the AEW clip keeps going for like 2 more minutes, and at the end of it the knocked out Dark Order guy gets back up and stumbles around to do spots because of course the Bucks have to get their shit in.
The one she’s holding looks…Okay? Ish?
If you find it, @ me.
Oh shit Fleekazoid is to blame?
they only charge for wwe/aew ppv's tbh
it's still up the villains though. but yea Birmingham sucks
Except they aren't number one and they haven't been in years. WB or whoever owns the Turner networks now is ran by people who just love pissing money and don't know what else to put on TV.
All that gold and not worth a dime