[aaronk333]

I wonder if anyone had any insights or ideas as to why Wrestlemania was never put on free tv (i'm guessing NBC would make the most sense since they already have a connection and other deals with them).

In terms of advertising dollars and self promotion they should make as much revenue as a PPV? Or maybe it wouldn't? Or maybe it would lampoon all future ppv's since people now expect it to be free?

Anyway, I would love to see a Super Bowl type wrestling event on a major network TV channel and Wrestlemania is really the only logical fit.

 

[siavash]

Saturday Night's Main Event?

 

[Unsexed]

Because Wrestlemania next close to a million buys. At 60 dollars a pop it makes about as much in one night as Smackdown will make WWE over it's entire SyFy contract.

 

[CGS]

Mania is a big money seller. the biggest money seller off the WWE. Why would you put that on free TV? You would basically lose out on Millions and millions of pounds from one night.

 

[Ratedr4life]

Mania is a big money seller. the biggest money seller off the WWE. Why would you put that on free TV? You would basically lose out on Millions and millions of pounds from one night.

Not necessarily, I mean look at the Superbowl, NBC would kill to have Wrestlemania air on their network, the ad revenue would only be behind the Superbowl, which means WWE would get paid a shitload of money from NBC.

I'm sure the WWE has thought about it and crunched the numbers to see if it could work out, but I guess the outcome isn't what they want.

 

[just1988]

I don't think it would get anywhere as near as much money if it was given away for free.

 

[aaronk333]

I don't think it would get anywhere as near as much money if it was given away for free.

Well you would create a bidding war with the networks (just like the NFL does when it sells its tv rights every 5 years)

They could sell it for say $50million and then the networks make money off of it by selling the air time,

The fact that we havent even heard it being shopped around makes me wonder why not,

 

[jimboystar24]

Not necessarily, I mean look at the Superbowl, NBC would kill to have Wrestlemania air on their network, the ad revenue would only be behind the Superbowl, which means WWE would get paid a shitload of money from NBC.

I'm sure the WWE has thought about it and crunched the numbers to see if it could work out, but I guess the outcome isn't what they want.

I never thought of it this way, but this is a great point.

 

[JigsawKrueger]

It really wouldn't get that big of a rating thesedays... maybe in 98 or 99. And wrestling isn't that appealing to advertisers.

Then again, the PPV model could be dead in 15 years time due to quality streams because of better technology and inflation making them too expensive.

 

[socash11]

It really wouldn't get that big of a rating thesedays... maybe in 98 or 99. And wrestling isn't that appealing to advertisers.

Then again, the PPV model could be dead in 15 years time due to quality streams because of better technology and inflation making them too expensive.

I think you hit the nail on the head. As it becomes easier for people to redistribute live streams of PPV events it will begin to cut further and further into PPV revenues, until it may at some point become most profitable to hold it on broadcast television and sell advertising time. Of course, this depends on how many people who actually buy the PPV events right now are willing to substitute their buy with watching an illegal stream for free.

 

[Ryan Smith]

Sorry, but I don't want advertisements when I watch WrestleMania. Especially during the main event, you know?

 

[MOBELS]

Because they get so much more money and if Wrestlemania was free it wouldn't be a PPV and would just become something like a yearly RAW