Shao Kahn Going Shopping
Banned
Don't want just a boring old logo? Here you go buddy, I made you an Ian Rotten avatar;
Perfect.
Don't want just a boring old logo? Here you go buddy, I made you an Ian Rotten avatar;
Don't want just a boring old logo? Here you go buddy, I made you an Ian Rotten avatar;
... Et tu, Boots?
I don't like avs and I have them turned off anyway, so Meh. Besides I AM A UNIQUE SNOWFLAKE
You're not unless you take a Bootsatar.
Nobody and I mean Nobody can't be as boring as Sean Mooney was back in the day...I don't know how he kept that job for a while...WWE needs to be more promo intensive like the late 80s.- Put that picture-in-picture back onto our programming. Throw to the back with someone who lends a bunch of class to it with a distinctive look and voice. Sorry Renee Young, you're too boring - we need a new Mean Gene, a person with a unique look that classes up the place. Young is classy for sure, but doesn't stand out in any way.
More of you guys need to listen to Wrestlenauts.
Nobody and I mean Nobody can't be as boring as Sean Mooney was back in the day...I don't know how he kept that job for a while...
Your favorite game is WWF: Warzone. I'm not listening to a word you say.
I could imagine them bringing back the control center...lolWhat! Sean Mooney was great, exactly what was needed. I think the Control Center behind him helped, though.
I like Sean a lot. To me, Lord Al was the worst dude in the Golden Era.
Not allowed. Cena must be the centerpiece of every charity initiative. NEVER anyone else.The Shield should do an adopt a pet spot or something of that nature. WWE can do charity work, and develop characters with more than just Cena.
I hope someday Maffew does a Strobogomania comprised of things from my WCW reviews.
Amidst skepticism regarding AJ Styles' current TNA status, WrestleZone has learned this afternoon, from a source within TNA, that AJ Styles has in fact re-signed with TNA, and the public statement he issued yesterday claiming to be done with the company is indeed a work.
Twitter Campaign Time!
... Dammit all
Make me a pretty CZW one and I'll think about it Boots!
I refuse to be shackled to the Rotten Hell
Uh...
Watching one 1996 Raw show earlier somebody had linked, Vince is on commentary and called Faarooq Asad (in his debut match) a thug. King shouted "What!" but he ignored it.I remember him calling Davey Boy Smith's dreadlocks "stupid."
had to be a shoot!
That is to say, they listened to the Observer Radio, which discussed it as a possibility based on AJ's indie dates.
http://variety.com/2013/tv/news/wwe-aims-to-pin-down-rich-new-tv-rights-deals-exclusive-1200966579/If USA Network wants to retain its biggest hit, Monday Night Raw, its gonna have to pay.
Next month, for the first time, WWE will shop the rights to Raw and all of its shows at the same time a list of weekly series that includes Syfys Friday Night SmackDown, Main Event on ION Television, the CWs Saturday Morning Slam and reality show Total Divas on E!
The goal is to significantly increase the $139.5 million in TV licensing fees WWE earns each year for its shows, and attempt to get closer to the rich network deals that sports organizations like the NBA, NHL NASCAR, as well as soccer command.
In the past, deals for WWEs series were brokered individually on a staggered timeline, usually every three to four years or so. But WWE has spent nearly two years quietly lining up rights to expire simultaneously in an effort to secure higher fees and appease shareholders who have grown increasingly frustrated that the companys TV deals are not worth more at a time when live event programming is more valuable than ever.
By offering up all its shows at once, Were letting the marketplace determine if its interested in all or pieces, says Michelle Wilson, WWEs chief revenue and marketing officer. The company also is tackling a self-inflicted perception problem. For years, its touted its over-the-top characters and soap opera storylines ahead of the live aspect of the year-round action in the ring.
Weve had to evolve our thinking, Wilson says. We are clearly entertainment-based, but if you think about the characteristics of our brand, its live action, and thats sports. We want to be compensated for a live audience, since live content is getting a very significant premium in the marketplace.
The company cites Nascars impressive dealmaking this summer as an example. The racing league secured a new 10-year deal with NBC and Fox worth $820 million a year. And that increase came in the face of declining ratings for many of its races. WWE argues that Raw and SmackDown alone are just as attractive, with a rabid fanbase thats helped build networks, and its series are diverse in ethnicity and age.
Combined, the shows air 156 episodes a year that average a 2.2 household rating. Nascar airs 154 races and averages a 1.38 household rating among viewers, who are 92% white and over 50. WWEs audience is far more diverse and broken out fairly evenly among age groups. A selling point is that 44% of them are under 34.
Thats helped boost gross ratings points, something Madison Avenue keeps a close eye on. Another plus for WWE: 90% of Raws and SmackDowns viewers watch the shows live plus same day, making the shows DVR proof. (Think NBCs latest stunt with The Sound of Music.)
The value of live content has gone from becoming important to essential, says George Barrios, WWEs chief strategy and financial officer. As a network, if you dont have live must-see content your existence comes into question.
To make its show more attractive, WWE is considering a live version of its two-hour SmackDown, which currently is taped on Tuesday before its Friday airing. To do that, costs to produce the series would increase, due to scheduling, and the show would likely need to move to a new night. But WWE would be willing to make the switch in return for a better fee for the series.
WWE added a third hour to Raw last year (starting with its 1,000th episode) in an effort to expand storylines, increase exposure for its stars, but also enable USA to generate more advertising revenue after three-hour specials performed well.
The Stamford, Conn.-based company ideally would like to partner with a conglomerate that owns a variety of channels the way NBCU currently airs many of WWEs shows. Along with Raw, SmackDown and Total Divas, specials like Tribute to the Troops and a shortened version of its annual WrestleMania pay-per-view also air on NBC. WWE already has reached out to or held meetings with the expected list of players who own a variety of channels hungry for programming, including A&E, Disney, Viacom, 21st Century Fox and Discovery.
Negotiations and bids cant take place until Feb. 15, when NBCU accepts or rejects WWEs final offer; other bids are due Feb. 28, with WWE set to select its media partners by March 4. Should a new deal with another conglom happen, WWEs shows wouldnt move to a new network until October.
Yet even as WWE makes the rounds of media congloms, industry insiders say they believe there is no way that NBCUniversal will loosen its grip on WWE. Monday Night Raw is a huge contributor to USAs bottom line and weekly ratings stats; without Raw on its schedule, USA Network would drop from first place to as low as No. 4 among basic entertainment networks, costing the company premium advertising dollars. Syfy would also lose a sizable audience without SmackDown, which has raised viewership by 35% for the network. Divas is a hit for E! but has perhaps has benefitted WWE more, given that its helped the company attract more women, which currently make up around 35% of its audience.
The third hour of Raw is up 44% vs. programming that aired in the timeslot last year. Saturday Morning Slam is up 34% for the CW, Main Event is up 25% for ION and Divas has boosted ratings 166% for E!
WWEs pay-per-views, including annual juggernauts WrestleMania and SummerSlam wont be part of the negotiations, since those will air on the companys new subscription-based WWE Network, which will also include original series and access to the companys VOD library. Launch plans for the channel, which WWE sees as its own NFL Network, have yet to be revealed. However, WWE maintains that it could break even on the venture if it can sign up 800,000 to 1 million subscribers willing to pay around $10 to $14 per month.
Digital next-day rights to shows would also become part of any new licensing deal with a TV network, costing Hulu Plus the programming it currently airs. In the past, TV Everywhere wasnt a hot topic for networks when WWE inked its current network deals.
Partners who pay licensing fees are now expecting to get the TV Everywhere distribution rights, Barrios says.
As it tries to land a better deal, WWE is ready to flex some of its marketing muscle, eager to show off how its been able to attract more high-profile advertisers to sponsor its PPVs and tie-in with its wrestlers, known as Superstars. Those now include General Motors, Ford Motor Co., Disney, Doritos, DreamWorks, Paramount, Kmart, Subway, Taco Bell, Colgate, Frito-Lay, Schick and Mattel attractive to any network, since the channels are the entities that sell and earn the ad dollars. WWE controls PPV sponsorships, digital ad sales and talent appearances.
Other revenue streams also must be taken into consideration. WWEs social media teams also connect with millions of fans daily, while its magazine, websites, toy lines, YouTube channel (for which it produces 10 to 12 hours of original programming a year) and videogames are popular and ratings rise for shows that feature WWEs talent roster, including John Cena (see above), as guest stars.
WWE is a proven ratings juggernaut, making USA Network No. 1 for the past eight years and delivering more average viewers than every sports property, with the exception of the NFL, said WWE chairman and CEO Vince McMahon in a statement to Variety. Given the increasing demand for live, DVR-proof content, we believe the market will value our programming significantly above where weve been in the past.
Adds Wilson of the upcoming negotiations: This is new territory were in. All of the things weve done over the last five years have helped raise the profile of our brand and theres recognition from the marketplace of what we deliver. Now its up to the marketplace to tell us if were worth it.
To make its show more attractive, WWE is considering a live version of its two-hour SmackDown, which currently is taped on Tuesday before its Friday airing. To do that, costs to produce the series would increase, due to scheduling, and the show would likely need to move to a new night. But WWE would be willing to make the switch in return for a better fee for the series.
Watching one 1996 Raw show earlier somebody had linked, Vince is on commentary and called Faarooq Asad (in his debut match) a thug. King shouted "What!" but he ignored it.
I wonder how long a video complied of all the questionable things said about black performers in WWE over the years.
I would love for that Zandig avatar to get some use, mainly because he looks so much like Dr. Phil in it.
I'm actually curious on hearing more about other things said against black people in wrestling history...
So if the agreements are expiring, we could get live streams of the live programming as part of WWE network no?
I'm not gonna lie at the time watching live, I thought it was funny. WTF did I know back then.
Can you imagine this shit today???
edit: still funny in a totally fucked up way
Piper in general all the way up to today is offensive as fuck.
I've seen all of the other ones but this one. Ho. Ly. Shit.
Live Smackdown is the only way I'd ever watch it, I can't stand taped shows
Orton/Bryan was fucking incredible. Orton suddenly caring again I guess?