WWE Could Return To $60 Monthly Pay-Per-Views After Company Sale

Vince McMahon made headlines for the worst reasons last year when he was involved in a hush-money scandal and the subsequent assault accusations. This led to Vince McMahon retiring for several months, but it was not permanent. McMahon eventually made his shocking return and quickly regained control of the company again, first joining the Board of Directors, and then becoming the Executive Chairman after Stephanie McMahon resigned. Clearly, a lot of changes will be taking place, and it seems that could also affect WWE’s pay-per-view system.

With the launch of the WWE Network in 2015, the company shifted its strategy to promote their major events as a key incentive for subscribing to the Network rather than purchasing them individually through pay-per-view.

This change is exactly why they are called Premium Live Events now. In 2021, NBCUniversal acquired the exclusive rights to distribute the WWE Network in the United States for Peacock. This means that WWE will be earning revenue from the contract with NBCUniversal for the distribution of the network in the country.

This change in distribution meant that most people could access one pay-per-view event per month at a lower cost, instead of the pricing model used by organizations like UFC, where pay-per-view events are priced at $59.99 for individuals who are subscribed to ESPN+. Of course, a company sale could derail those plans.

Fans might end up paying $9.99 for the WWE Network or Peacock as an entry fee, and then they must spend $59.99 for each pay-per-view. While speaking on Wrestling Observer Radio, Dave Meltzer noted that WWE going back to $60 pay-per-views after getting sold is a definite possibility.

“Is it possible? Yes, it’s possible. If it’s Endeavor, because of UFC, I believe that they would absolutely look into the possibility of it. Because look at what they do with UFC and they’re similar businesses.

I don’t believe it will be done. Now what could be done, the idea of pulling WrestleMania, or maybe WrestleMania, Royal Rumble (and) SummerSlam, and making them pay-per-views but keeping the other ones on the Network. I could see that.

I think that’s probably even the best way to do it, or maybe you even go with WrestleMania alone and that’s the only one. Because you’ve got two days of WrestleMania, maybe charge $40 a day, people will pay it because it’s WrestleMania.

The flip side, the thing is though, is you can’t do it until this contract is over. So I think that the thing is, when this Peacock contract is over, and you’re evaluating all this, you have to look at what is Peacock paying you.

Because the amount that Peacock pays, it’s not like they’re paying a certain amount every month. It’s weighed, so they get paid way more for WrestleMania month than any other month.

So are they getting paid more than they would make on the pay-per-view? I don’t know the answer to that. But I would say that in Endeavor is to buy, I would say that absolutely Endeavor would look at the economics and consider it, and they will go with whatever is the best economic idea.

You’ve got to remember this is not WWE Network, this is a figure way, way, way above WWE Network. If it was just WWE Network, I would go ahead and say WrestleMania, SummerSlam, Royal Rumble, you put on pay-per-view, and the other ones you don’t, because you’re in charge of that.

This is something that’s been sold to Peacock on the idea that they’re getting WrestleMania on their streaming service. So you can’t go away from it.

And also they’re getting so much money from Peacock, way more than they would make on pay-per-view or on WWE Network that the economics may very well be that it’s not worth it to them to take WretsleMania back to pay-per-view.”

Vince McMahon is already back in the company and is likely to take over creative control very soon. If he does end up doing that, then McMahon will likely fire all of Triple H’s new hires. It remains to be seen what will become of WWE in the end. Regardless, fans are very concerned about the company’s future right now.

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