WWE Network coming to a console near you
By Andrew Votta
Posted on January 10, 2014
After a long hiatus, the WWE Network was finally revealed to the world by the likes of Vince McMahon, John Cena, Stone Cold Steve Austin Shawn Michaels and Triple H. Not only is it going to provide over 1,500 hours of on-demand content, it is poised to revolutionize TV programming as we know it by bringing 24/7 streaming content and a handful of live original programming.
Not only will you be able to catch NXT live, but you’ll be able to watch weekly pre and post-shows for RAW and Smackdown as well as watch Superstars from the past, such as Roddy Pipper, Jim Duggan and Mean Gene in WWE Legends House. Think Big Brother reality show, but with wrestlers from your childhood.
The Monday Night War (not Wars) series focuses on the feud between WWE and WCW throughout the 1990s. Look back on some of the memorable Wrestlemania matches in Wrestlemania Rewind with updated comments from those who participated in the matches. WWE Countdown will be powered by fans, allowing you to vote on such things as the best catchphrase and entrance music.
The Network is also given subscribers access to every PPV from WWE, WCW and ECW (unedited and uncensored), with all future WWE PPV’s being streamed live for no additional charge, including Wrestlemania. We did notice the fine print below the price point, indicating a six month commitment at $9.99 a month.
So what does this mean for you? Where can you get such a fantastic product? The WWE Network will be on just about every device imaginable, except for Windows Phones Tablets and the Wii U. At launch you’ll be able to connect using a PC, PlayStation 3, Android and iOS devices, Amazon’s Kindle Fire, Roku streaming devices, PlayStation 4 and Xbox 360. While I was hoping for the service to be available for the upcoming Royal Rumble PPV, you’ll be able to get your hands-on the service on February 24th, immediately following RAW. Smart TV and Xbox One support will be coming during the summer.
The WWE will be offering a free one week trial at the time of release.
So what do you think? Will you be picking up the WWE Network at launch or are you going to wait and see. At launch there will be no backlog of weekly shows such as RAW or Nitro and the presentation avoided answering how many devices you can have active at the same time. Sound off in the comments or on the forums, and that’s the bottom line because Stone Cold said so.
