"IGN Sports: With everything you guys did, from the burning tables and canes to the language and storylines, was there ever any thought of going to HBO or Showtime and seeing if you could get even more extreme?
Paul Heyman: We were actually negotiating to do Showtime until WWE went to Spike TV and they got the exclusive agreement with Viacom. Showtime is a Viacom property, so we were off of that negotiation. We did have some negotiations with HBO as well, we were actually talking to them back in 1995, but an executive way-way high up vetoed it. We talked to them again toward the end and they were interested, but it was like "Come back and talk to us in three months." And we didn't have three months left as a company.
IGN Sports: I could just imagine what New Jack would've said on Showtime.
Paul Heyman: It would have been revolutionary, I assure you."
Great interview, a good read. ECW on HBO or Showtime would have been sweet. What if? ...
http://sports.ign.com/articles/577/577311p1.html
Paul Heyman: We were actually negotiating to do Showtime until WWE went to Spike TV and they got the exclusive agreement with Viacom. Showtime is a Viacom property, so we were off of that negotiation. We did have some negotiations with HBO as well, we were actually talking to them back in 1995, but an executive way-way high up vetoed it. We talked to them again toward the end and they were interested, but it was like "Come back and talk to us in three months." And we didn't have three months left as a company.
IGN Sports: I could just imagine what New Jack would've said on Showtime.
Paul Heyman: It would have been revolutionary, I assure you."
Great interview, a good read. ECW on HBO or Showtime would have been sweet. What if? ...
http://sports.ign.com/articles/577/577311p1.html