WWE Chairman Vince McMahon speaks during the announcement of the WWE Network. (Photo : GettyImages/Ethan Miller)
Vince McMahon took a huge risk in 2014 when he decided to launch the WWE Network. The latest news about it is very positive as the number of subscribers increased and it continues to be a success for McMahon.
The 70-year-old WWE chairman launched the WWE Network on February 24, 2014. It started off very slowly but it has been considered a success because of the increasing number of subscribers.
According to Bloomberg, the WWE Network currently has about 1.52 million subscribers. It is up by 4.5 percent from the 1.45 million subscribers at the end of WrestleMania 32. There is still two quarters left for 2016 and the company is projecting 1.49 million subscribers for the third quarter.
The WWE Network is also one of the highest-ranking and biggest streaming video services in the United States. It is currently fifth behind Netflix, Amazon, Hulu and MLB.TV but ahead of HBO. Many business analysts believe that WWE's risk is paying off.
As for international subscription, it increased by 76 percent in just one year. The WWE Network is available in almost all countries. The company is still trying to break into the Chinese market which will certainly give them a huge boost.
"I continue to be pleased with the execution of our strategy to optimize the long-term value of our content. Progress on this objective is evidenced by the continued year-over-year growth of WWE Network, the transition of SmackDown to a live format every week and the completion of our first exclusive content agreement in China," McMahon said in an official statement, via WrestleZone.
The WWE Network currently has many original shows including Swerved and Camp WWE. Holey Foley! is one of the upcoming shows that follow WWE Hall of Famer, Mick Foley, and his family.
Other possible WWE Network shows that could be introduced later in 2016 or next year are WWE Game Night, WWE Promo Battle, Goldberg's Garage, Extreme Eats and Legends House - Attitude Era. WWE Game Night is an entertaining show on YouTube wherein superstars take on each other in different games.
WWE Promo Battle will feature superstars going head to head in an improvised promo battle. On the other hand, Goldberg's Garage is about former WWE superstar Goldberg and his American muscle car restoration business.
Check out the video below for a promo about the WWE Network.
