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More Cable Providers Dropping WWE PPVs

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Now that fans can get PPV events on WWE Network, some cable providers are now dropping some events.

USA cable providers DirecTV and DISH Network have chosen not to carry WWE’s upcoming Money in the Bank PPV. DirecTV and DISH Network are still carrying TNA events, but they are only carrying some WWE PPVs going forward.

WWE angered some cable providers when they released the WWE Network. Cable providers feel that with PPV events being carried on WWE Network, they would be losing out on money. You cannot blame them for that since it’s way cheaper for fans to get the WWE Network instead of ordering a PPV the traditional way.

In the U.S., WWE PPVs are usually $50 each. WrestleMania events are even more expensive and can go as high as $60 or $70. This is pretty expensive just to watch three or four hours of entertainment per month. With WWE Network, however, you can watch monthly PPV events and more for the low price of $10 per month.

PPV buy-rates have already dropped, and I’m sure cable providers aren’t happy with that. Only 700,000 households this year ordered WrestleMania XXX the traditional way. This is lower than the 1 million buys WrestleMania usually gets. For WWE, they had an additional WWE Network 667,287 subscribers watching WrestleMania XXX on top of the 700,000. That’s more money for WWE, but not for the cable provider.

I’m guessing cable providers like DirecTV and DISH Network will probably still provide WrestleMania and SummerSlam events but drop the smaller PPV events. For WWE, they don’t really care since they would get more money from the WWE Network anyway.

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