Why Did the WWE Network Move to Peacock?

Why did the WWE Network move to Peacock? There are many reasons, but the most important one is that Peacock is a better platform for the WWE Network.

WWE’s Previous Streaming Services

The WWE Network was originally launched in 2014 as a standalone streaming service. However, in 2020, the WWE Network was moved to Peacock, which is a streaming service owned by NBCUniversal. There are a few reasons why the WWE Network was moved to Peacock. Let’s take a look.

WWE Network

The WWE Network is a streaming service created by World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) that features on-demand and live programming based on the company’s professional wrestling promotion. It was first launched in January 2014, replacing WWE’s previous subscription service, WWE Classics On Demand.

The WWE Network is available through most internet service providers and streaming media players such as Amazon Fire TV, Apple TV, Android TV, Roku, Xbox One, PlayStation 4, and Samsung Smart TVs. As of October 2019, the WWE Network had 1.2 million subscribers.

In March 2020, it was announced that the WWE Network would be moving to NBCUniversal’s new streaming service Peacock starting on April 4. The move was made in an effort to reach a wider audience as the NBCUniversal platform has more users than the WWE Network.

Hulu

WWE had a brief stint on Hulu in 2014, but the service was quickly replaced by the WWE Network in February of that year. The move made sense at the time, as the WWE Network offered a much more comprehensive experience for fans, with live pay-per-view events, original programming, and on-demand content. However, the WWE Network never really took off the way that WWE had hoped, and it was eventually replaced by Peacock in 2020.

YouTube

The WWE Network was first introduced on YouTube in 2005. The service featured a live stream of WWE programming, as well as on-demand content and original programming. In 2014, the WWE Network moved to a subscription-based model, which allowed viewers to access all WWE programming for a monthly fee. In 2017, the WWE Network moved away from YouTube and became its own streaming service.

The Transition to Peacock

The WWE Network is a streaming service that was created by the WWE in 2014. The service originally launched on the WWE website, but was later made available on other platforms such as Roku, Amazon Fire TV, and Xbox One. In January 2021, the WWE announced that the WWE Network would be moving to Peacock, a streaming service owned by NBCUniversal.

The Reasons for the Move

In 2019, NBCUniversal (which is owned by Comcast) acquired the WWE Network as part of a rights deal. The plan was to eventually move the WWE Network to NBCUniversal’s own streaming service, Peacock. And that’s exactly what happened in early 2021. There are multiple reasons for the move, but the key ones are pretty straightforward.

For one, it simply made more financial sense for Comcast to move the WWE Network over to Peacock. The WWE Network has always been a niche service, and it was never going to reach the same sort of scale as something like Netflix. As such, it made more sense from a business perspective to fold the WWE Network into an existing streaming service rather than try to build it up as its own standalone entity.

In addition, there’s also the matter of Peacock simply being a better streaming platform than the WWE Network was. The WWE Network always felt a bit dated and basic, especially compared to other major streaming platforms. By moving over to Peacock, WWE fans will now have access to a much more modern and feature-rich streaming experience.

So those are some of the key reasons behind why the WWE Network moved over to Peacock. It simply made more financial and logistical sense for Comcast to make this transition.

The Benefits for WWE

The transition of the WWE Network to Peacock comes with several benefits for the company. For starters, it gives WWE a chance to be featured on one of the world’s most popular streaming platforms. Peacock has over 30 million subscribers in the United States alone, and that number is only going to grow in the coming years.

In addition, the deal will see WWE receive a significant amount of money up front. It’s been reported that NBC Universal paid WWE $1 billion for the rights to the WWE Network. This is a huge windfall for a company that has been struggling financially in recent years.

Finally, moving to Peacock will allow WWE to reach a larger audience. The WWE Network has always had trouble attracting new subscribers, but being on Peacock will expose the product to a much wider audience. This could lead to a boost in subscriptions and, ultimately, more revenue for WWE.

The Drawbacks of the Move

The move to Peacock has not been without its drawbacks, however. One of the chief complaints from WWE Network subscribers is that, upon the transition to Peacock, they lost access to certain content that was previously included in their WWE Network subscription. This content includes WWE Network originals like “Breaking Ground” and “Legends with JBL,” as well as certain archived pay-per-view events. While some of this content is still available on Peacock Premium (WWE’s new name for the $4.99/month subscription), other content is only available on Peacock Premium Plus ($9.99/month), which also includes a wider selection of live sporting events and other programming.

Another downside of the transition to Peacock is that, due to WWE’s new partnership with NBCUniversal, the WWE Network is now only available in the United States and Canada. This means that international fans who were previously able to subscribe to the WWE Network will no longer have access to its content.

Despite these drawbacks, many WWE fans are happy with the switch to Peacock, as it has brought about some positive changes as well. One of these is the addition of a new feature called “Peak Performance,” which allows viewers to watch select pay-per-view events from multiple camera angles. This feature was previously unavailable on the WWE Network.

What Does This Mean for the Future of WWE?

On January 18th, 2021, it was announced that the WWE Network would be moving to Peacock, NBCUniversal’s streaming service. This was a surprising move, as the WWE Network was doing quite well on its own. So, what does this mean for the future of WWE? Only time will tell, but there are a few things that we can speculate about.

The Possibilities for WWE

On January 18th, 2021, it was announced that WWE Network would be moving to Peacock, NBCUniversal’s streaming service, in the United States. This deal will see Peacock become the exclusive home of WWE Network and its library of original programming, pay-per-view events, and on-demand content.

So what does this mean for WWE and its fans?

For starters, it’s a big win for NBCUniversal. The company can now offer WWE Network as part of its Peacock platform, which should entice more wrestling fans to sign up for the service. In addition, NBCUniversal also now has the exclusive streaming rights to WWE’s pay-per-view events in the United States, which were previously available on other platforms such as YouTube TV and Sling TV.

This is also a positive development for WWE. The company was able to negotiate a deal that will see WWE Network remain a standalone service within Peacock. This is important because it means that WWE Network subscribers will not have to pay anything extra to continue enjoying the network’s content. In addition, the move to Peacock should give WWE access to a wider audience thanks to NBCUniversal’s massive reach.

The possibilities for WWE are now endless with this new partnership. Only time will tell what this means for the future of professional wrestling but one thing is for sure, the sky’s the limit.

The Risks for WWE

There are a few risks that WWE faces by moving the WWE Network to Peacock.

First, there is the risk that current WWE Network subscribers will cancel their subscriptions when they find out that they will have to pay more for the same content on Peacock. This could lead to a significant decline in revenue for WWE.

Second, there is the risk that WWE will not be able to attract new subscribers to the WWE Network on Peacock. This could limit the growth of the WWE Network and make it difficult for WWE to compete with other streaming services.

Third, there is the risk that WWE will not be able to retain its current level of content on Peacock. This could lead to a decline in viewership and potential subscriber loss.

Finally, there is the risk that WWE will not be able to successfully negotiate its next television deal when its current contract expires in 2024. This could have a negative impact on WWE’s financial stability and long-term growth prospects.