*BRIEF EDITORIAL* – The WWE Network will once again be free for subscribers in the month of May. It really does need to get pointed out – because I’m tired of people tweeting me their “WHY AM I PAYING FOR THIS!?” hate messages – that the Network is free only to new subscribers. It’s essentially no different than Netflix giving a free month, or Hulu Plus’ 14-day trial. Those who got the Network in November for free and are still subscribed are still paying. Those who got it in March are now paying. Those upset that some are “hacking the system” by un-subbing and re-subbing for free months could be doing the exact same thing.
On a personal note, I’ve been subscribed since literally the minute it became available in the U.S. (some will remember I did a live stream of the extremely glitchy kickoff at 5AM) and I have never felt like my $9.99 has been a waste, or even a questionable purchase. It’s the reason we’re able to have NXT and Main Event coverage so easily available on Wrestlezone, and the reason we don’t wince every month when it’s time to pitch in for the PPV.
I get that people don’t like when others get something for free – especially when you don’t have a lot of money to work with. I’ve been there. But even if I’m paying for 12 months (that’s a little less than $120 annually) and only getting 8-9 months of paid content (so 3-4 free promotional months that others are “hacking” to get) I’m still saving hundreds on PPV. That’s not including NXT. That’s not including exclusive specials, which have consistently been good, or great. In the past I’ve ever had to settle for the edited version of the Hall of Fame that makes TV, or wait 3-4 months for the blu-ray to come out. Now we get it live, unedited, as it’s happening.
I shouldn’t have to sell people on this thing. You know what you’re getting. You know whether or not it’s worth your $9.99 and you shouldn’t fault the company for giving people who haven’t tried it out yet ample opportunity to do so. I know counter-culture is the “cool”, happening thing these days, but the WWE Network becoming a success and transforming the way the WWE does wrestling is something you WANT. Trust me, you DO NOT want to go back to $40-50 monthly PPV, YouTube pre-shows, and watching commercial-infested Main Event on Ion.
At worst, if everyone you know is getting free Network 3-4 times a year (which isn’t even close to being remotely true, as it’s more like the 1% of the 1% are milking the system) it means you’re paying for one PPV that they are not. So find the one you enjoyed, the one you actually cared about in 2014-15, and be satisfied in the fact that you supported an enjoyable product.
It’s not a perfect Network, and there is some validity to a few of the complaints out there, but none of them are worth stupid Twitter boycott hashtags. At the very least, stop emailing me about it.
