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WWE Closing In On Netflix?

by | Dec 5, 2015 | WWE

LAS VEGAS, NV - JANUARY 08: WWE Chief Revenue and Marketing Officer Michelle Wilson speaks at a news conference announcing the WWE Network at the 2014 International CES at the Encore Theater at Wynn Las Vegas on January 8, 2014 in Las Vegas, Nevada. The network will launch on February 24, 2014 as the first-ever 24/7 streaming network, offering both scheduled programs and video on demand. The USD 9.99 per month subscription will include access to all 12 live WWE pay-per-view events (pictured on screen) each year. CES, the world's largest annual consumer technology trade show, runs through January 10 and is expected to feature 3,200 exhibitors showing off their latest products and services to about 150,000 attendees. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)

WWE Network ranked higher than both NFL Game Pass and HBO Now on a top 10 list based on subscriptions. The complete rankings are below:

  1. Netflix
  2. Amazon Video
  3. Hulu
  4. MLB.TV
  5. WWE Network
  6. HBO Now
  7. Crunchyroll
  8. NFL Game Pass
  9. The Blaze
  10. SlingTV

The report noted that 40% of OTT video services in the United States were launched within the past two years—WWE Network launched in 2014—while 25% came out in 2015.

In its third-quarter financial report last month, WWE said that the addition of original content and additional live specials helped lift the subscriber count to a healthy 1.2 million.

That’s a long way from Netflix, which is closing in on 70 million subscribers, but WWE trails only MLB.TV in the sports genre. Parks said the WWE holds a distinct advantage over other sports programming, with its ability to resist “seasonality common to other sports OTT video service,” and as a result it continues to add subscribers. In other words, WWE’s lack of an offseason allows the promotion to add subscribers throughout the year without fear of a significant lull.

Many have called for WWE to explore a possible offseason for the safety of its wrestlers, who only get a break when they get hurt. Major injuries to top stars Seth Rollins and Randy Orton in 2015 add credence to that claim. But with WWE’s non-stop schedule adding a boost to subscribers, in addition to the company’s inherent next-man-up philosophy, an offseason is virtually out of the question.