Credit: WWE.comCredit: WWE.com
According to WWE Corporate, the company is line for "continued WWE Network subscriber growth" and "record revenue" this year, and it was recently valued at $2.422 billion (according to the January 8th edition of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter), with no signs of that value decreasing in the near future. Overall, WWE looks to be in a healthy state, but as we approach the expiration of its current TV deals next year, it's absolutely imperative that WWE clicks on all cylinders in 2018 to guarantee success in 2019 and beyond.
In 2017, the company had a number of big misses, including feuds like Bray Wyatt vs. Randy Orton and the push of Jinder Mahal, that it must leave in the past. On the flip side, 2017 also featured its fair share of success stories, like the rise of Alexa Bliss, the popularity of AJ Styles and the greatness of the Usos and The New Day. With WWE looking to secure its most lucrative TV deal ever and with the company on pace for record numbers this year, going forward it must minimize the miscues and maximize the successes to ensure that happens.
Here are five major mistakes WWE must avoid in 2018.
Another Unbalanced Roster
Credit: WWE.comCredit: WWE.com
In the 2017 "Superstar Shakeup," SmackDown, suffice it to say, got the shaft.
The blue brand lost Bray Wyatt, The Miz and Dean Ambrose, who had been arguably three of the top four stars on the show, and got just Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn (who's never been pushed that strongly) in return. While the "Superstar Shakeup" briefly accomplished its goal of spiking viewership for both Raw and SmackDown, that didn't last all that long as TV ratings for both shows were down 1% by the end of Q3 2017 despite the frequent presence of part-time stars like John Cena and Brock Lesnar.
The current rosters have just never felt right. Raw is incredibly top heavy, with Lesnar, Roman Reigns, Samoa Joe, Braun Strowman, Seth Rollins, Dean Ambrose, Kurt Angle and The Miz rounding out a core of performers that packs a much bigger star power punch than SmackDown, which doesn't have all that much beyond AJ Styles, Owens and Randy Orton as far as proven main eventers are concerned. Another problem is that SmackDown's tag team division is loaded while Raw's is in shambles, an issue that must be remedied by another "Superstar Shakeup" or draft, which seems likely for after WrestleMania 34.
WWE really needs to make a concerted effort to ensure that it has the right balance for its rosters this time around, and to do that, it cannot load up Raw with most of the show's major talent or SmackDown with a significantly better tag team division. No, there must be major moves made, like perhaps Styles to Raw and Rollins, Strowman or Reigns to SmackDown, that result in a more balanced roster, which ideally would lead to more consistent TV viewership for both brands.
Bringing Back The Undertaker, Batista And/Or Goldberg
Credit: WWE.comCredit: WWE.com
There is mounting evidence that part-time attractions aren't really draws at all, with the cyclical nature of the WWE Network subscriber count demonstrating the minimal impact these "attractions," like Lesnar, actually have.
In fact, the 2017 Royal Rumble is a prime example of that as the supposedly star-studded event resulted in an increase of just 42,000 Network subscribers that month. That has to be called a monumental disappointment when you consider that the pay-per-view featured John Cena in a singles match and The Undertaker, Goldberg and Lesnar all participating in the Royal Rumble match. One would think that the presence of those four stars at one of WWE's most anticipated events of the year would generate significantly more interest than it did.
Consider, after all, that Chris Jericho's presence at New Japan Pro-Wrestling's Wrestle Kingdom 12 added 25,000 subscribers to NJPW World (its equivalent of the WWE Network) in just two days, an incredible achievement when you realize that it had just 70,000 subscribers prior to the event. It makes you wonder why part-time special attractions don't have the same effect in WWE, and yet, WWE still seems intent on bringing back more of those part-timers in the future.
There are rumblings about a potential Rey Mysterio return. Ditto for Batista. Even The Undertaker and Hulk Hogan have been speculated as possible WrestleMania 34 opponents for Cena. Is the presence of Lesnar, Cena, Triple H and Angle not enough? WWE already has a glaring age problem, even though it doesn't appear that those stars, aside from Cena, are boosting business very much, and the company continues to rely heavily on those stars, especially at "Big Four" pay-per-views.
Here's to hoping WWE avoids that mistake in the future because it is, of course, taking precious TV time away from rising stars who are trying to become the top stars they can't be as long as those spots are filled.
">WWE is on the right track to have plenty of success in 2018.
Credit: WWE.comCredit: WWE.com
According to WWE Corporate, the company is line for "continued WWE Network subscriber growth" and "record revenue" this year, and it was recently valued at $2.422 billion (according to the January 8th edition of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter), with no signs of that value decreasing in the near future. Overall, WWE looks to be in a healthy state, but as we approach the expiration of its current TV deals next year, it's absolutely imperative that WWE clicks on all cylinders in 2018 to guarantee success in 2019 and beyond.
In 2017, the company had a number of big misses, including feuds like Bray Wyatt vs. Randy Orton and the push of Jinder Mahal, that it must leave in the past. On the flip side, 2017 also featured its fair share of success stories, like the rise of Alexa Bliss, the popularity of AJ Styles and the greatness of the Usos and The New Day. With WWE looking to secure its most lucrative TV deal ever and with the company on pace for record numbers this year, going forward it must minimize the miscues and maximize the successes to ensure that happens.
Here are five major mistakes WWE must avoid in 2018.
Another Unbalanced Roster
Credit: WWE.comCredit: WWE.com
In the 2017 "Superstar Shakeup," SmackDown, suffice it to say, got the shaft.
The blue brand lost Bray Wyatt, The Miz and Dean Ambrose, who had been arguably three of the top four stars on the show, and got just Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn (who's never been pushed that strongly) in return. While the "Superstar Shakeup" briefly accomplished its goal of spiking viewership for both Raw and SmackDown, that didn't last all that long as TV ratings for both shows were down 1% by the end of Q3 2017 despite the frequent presence of part-time stars like John Cena and Brock Lesnar.
The current rosters have just never felt right. Raw is incredibly top heavy, with Lesnar, Roman Reigns, Samoa Joe, Braun Strowman, Seth Rollins, Dean Ambrose, Kurt Angle and The Miz rounding out a core of performers that packs a much bigger star power punch than SmackDown, which doesn't have all that much beyond AJ Styles, Owens and Randy Orton as far as proven main eventers are concerned. Another problem is that SmackDown's tag team division is loaded while Raw's is in shambles, an issue that must be remedied by another "Superstar Shakeup" or draft, which seems likely for after WrestleMania 34.
WWE really needs to make a concerted effort to ensure that it has the right balance for its rosters this time around, and to do that, it cannot load up Raw with most of the show's major talent or SmackDown with a significantly better tag team division. No, there must be major moves made, like perhaps Styles to Raw and Rollins, Strowman or Reigns to SmackDown, that result in a more balanced roster, which ideally would lead to more consistent TV viewership for both brands.
Bringing Back The Undertaker, Batista And/Or Goldberg
Credit: WWE.comCredit: WWE.com
There is mounting evidence that part-time attractions aren't really draws at all, with the cyclical nature of the WWE Network subscriber count demonstrating the minimal impact these "attractions," like Lesnar, actually have.
In fact, the 2017 Royal Rumble is a prime example of that as the supposedly star-studded event resulted in an increase of just 42,000 Network subscribers that month. That has to be called a monumental disappointment when you consider that the pay-per-view featured John Cena in a singles match and The Undertaker, Goldberg and Lesnar all participating in the Royal Rumble match. One would think that the presence of those four stars at one of WWE's most anticipated events of the year would generate significantly more interest than it did.
Consider, after all, that Chris Jericho's presence at New Japan Pro-Wrestling's Wrestle Kingdom 12 added 25,000 subscribers to NJPW World (its equivalent of the WWE Network) in just two days, an incredible achievement when you realize that it had just 70,000 subscribers prior to the event. It makes you wonder why part-time special attractions don't have the same effect in WWE, and yet, WWE still seems intent on bringing back more of those part-timers in the future.
There are rumblings about a potential Rey Mysterio return. Ditto for Batista. Even The Undertaker and Hulk Hogan have been speculated as possible WrestleMania 34 opponents for Cena. Is the presence of Lesnar, Cena, Triple H and Angle not enough? WWE already has a glaring age problem, even though it doesn't appear that those stars, aside from Cena, are boosting business very much, and the company continues to rely heavily on those stars, especially at "Big Four" pay-per-views.
Here's to hoping WWE avoids that mistake in the future because it is, of course, taking precious TV time away from rising stars who are trying to become the top stars they can't be as long as those spots are filled.
Posting Komentar