WWE's Vince McMahon wants to launch cable network

Vince McMahon's World Wrestling Entertainment Inc., wants to start its own cable network.

In an interview with Company Town, McMahon said he wants to launch the channel within the next two years and that he will pitch it as a network for the basic tier, which is the hardest one to get carriage on.

Launching a cable network is just the latest push in McMahon's effort to remake the WWE. For years, WWE programming was a tough sell to advertisers and families because of its raunchy nature and sexual innuendo. Now he's pushing a softer, gentler WWE. For more on his strategy, please read our story in today's Los Angeles Times.

Although this may not seem like the most ideal time to try to get a  network off the ground, McMahon's WWE has a pretty strong track record that cable and satellite operators will find hard to ignore. Whatever one thinks of WWE content, it does attract a big audience. USA Network's "Raw," for example, averages 5.5 million viewers and all of the WWE's shows on broadcast and cable combined average 16 million viewers per week. WWE is also starting bringing in more blue chip advertisers, including AT&T, Pepisco and Procter & Gamble. 

McMahon is also a force on pay-per-view. WWE does about 14 pay-per-view events annually that attract anywhere from 500,000 to 1.4 million buys. In other words, he has some juice with distributors. With a library of over 100,000 hours of programming, he's not lacking for content.

"We have a lot of clout that most people don't," McMahon said. While WWE wants its own network, McMahon said he has no plans to take "Raw" off of USA or move any of his other properties.

"It won't be a threat, it'll be an integration," he said, adding, "it's good for `RAW' to be on USA." Of course, McMahon also knows it will also help him in negotiations with his partners. "Having your own network allows you a lot of leverage."

-- Joe Flint

Photo: WWE Chairman Vince McMahon. Credit: WWE

Comments

[Hilary]

People in this country are retarded.

[Shane]

Look at the latest WWE earnings report and get your facts straight. WWEs avergae PPV buys are nowhere near 500,000. Every PPV since WrestleMania has averaged under 200,000 buys domestic.

[Ricky johnson]

vince if you are doing your own network I hope us in england see it and I hope you show WWE superstars on TV and FCW wrestling as well to give us a tast on who is coming in from your friend and fan Ricky johnson

[Philip Moreau]

I hope he doesn't charge too much for the channel. 500, 000 world wide buys per ppv is a lot.McMahon has a great product and a monopoly of every other product that ever exsted. If Vince can bring in FCW to the mix and a few other 'new content' shows like a talk show and smaller shows like Santinos Casa, this could be something special.

[Mike]

WWE is great pop culture entertainment, and deserves it's own network. More people watch WWE compared to anything else worldwide, and WrestleMania is one of the largest events in the world. More attended this year's WrestleMania than the Super Bowl.

[SAMUEL]

MR. MCMAHON AND THE ENTIRE WWE MUST HAVE AND SHOULD

HAVE THEIR OWN TV NETWORK OR CABLE TELEVISION NETWORK!!!

THEY SHOULD ALSO BRING BACK WCW FULL TIME!!! IT WILL BE A

BIG HELP FOR THEIR OWN TELEVISION CHANNEL'S SUCCESS!!!

WWE IS BIGGER AND BETTER COMPARED TO THE NBA, NFL, NHL,

MLB AND UFC COMBINED!!!

WWE RULZ!!!

[andrew]

Will it be on directv

[Steven]

i htink showing events from the past would be cool, so i htink this is a great idea, as long as its on cable lol

[ricardo ferguson]

man you mean i will be watch all the time man vince had to been thinking about what i was thinking because i always said to my self someone should bring out a network just for wrestling and just show the wrestling from back then to now man this is great. vince is a man with a plan wow

[kajan]

it's nice

[Jason Morton]

One way or another Vince McMahon will no doubt make a good run of this financially. Since he took over the old WWF, Now WWE, Vince has made himself into a force to be reckoned with in the entertainment industry. His stocks are holding fairly strong with a decent return and his side ventures into movies and music have panned out well. Best of luck in the new venture Vince.

[Ronald]

I think that Vince is a programming and marketing genius. I have watched this company grow from its inception during the early years of Pedro Morales and Bruno Sammartino. I am amazed at the huge explosion of growth for this wrestling phenomenon. I am in my 50s and have watched since I was a kid.I never imagined it would get as big as it is. I am still a loyal fan and think it is good entertainment.

[Ronald]

I have followed the WWE since I was a kid and I am now in my 50's. It is amazing how this whole wrestling phenomenon has grown. Even though his father started the organiztion,Vince is a true marketing genius. He knocked out the competition by buying them up. Now his family dominates and controls all of profesional wrestling.

[jaami]

vince you need to fire theodore long! how can you let theodore take jeff hardy out of the wwe. he is one of the popular superstars like cena is. i bet if cena was put in a match that could end his carrer in the wwe you would make sure that he wouldnt get fired. PLEASE SEND JEFF HARDY BACK TO THE WWE :-( :-( :-( :-(

[Billy]

BRING BACK THE ATTITUDE ERA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[andrew]

he better make it tv 14

[D]

I hope WWE Network is a channel like USA, FOX, ABC, FX, Nickelodeon, CartoonNetwork, Disney Channel, ESPN, and etc. I don't want to pay large amounts of money for 1 channel like WWE on Demand!

Please WWE make this a real channel where it broadcasts episodes and PPVs from 1980-Present Day! Then and then only, I will support that channel!

Who I' am fooling. I would watch it regardless because it's WWE!!!!