WWE Network Could Bring End of Pay-Per-View Business Model

WWE Chief Financial Officer George Barrios recently spoke to 4 Traders.com about possible options for the WWE Network. He said subscriptions would be in the neighborhood of $12.99-14.99 per month and the break even point for WWE would be around 2 million members. Barrios then threw out the possibility of the company eliminating pay-per-views altogether.

WWE’s storylines build on the free cable shows on USA and Syfy Network. But all the really important stuff happens on the pay-per-views, which run around $50. Barrios said at around 2 million subscribers WWE would be break even, at 3-4 million it would be “transformative.”

Changing the pay-per-view model is the first idea I’ve heard that makes me interested in the network. I’m a diehard wrestling fan, but I don’t partake of 12 PPVs a year at $50 apiece. Give me an option that’s cheaper and throw in some of the classic wrestling content in WWE’s massive film library, now we’re talking.