WWE Network

WWE Network is a subscription-based video streaming service owned by WWE, using the infrastructure of Major League Baseball Advanced Media. The concept was originally announced in 2011. On January 8, 2014, WWE announced the network would launch on February 24 in the United States. The company stated on July 31 that the service was expected to go live in Australia, Canada, New Zealand, Hong Kong, Singapore, Mexico, Middle East, Spain, Turkey, Nordics and the North Africa, among other countries starting on August 17. It was unexpectedly made available in the UK and Ireland a week earlier than planned, on January 13, 2015, after a delay from the previous November. The WWE Network consists of both a 24-hour linear streaming channel and on-demand programming from WWE's library.

History

Development and U.S. launch

In September 2011, WWE officially announced plans to launch the WWE Network in 2012 as a pay-TV channel. WWE then conducted a survey asking people if they would pay for the WWE Network if it were a premium channel. In an email sent to WWE fans who might be interested in the WWE Network, WWE surveyed fans for their thoughts about the WWE Network airing WWE's pay-per-views to subscribers for no additional charge. The survey also noted that feature repeats of Raw and SmackDown, as well as footage from World Championship Wrestling (WCW), Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW), National Wrestling Alliance (NWA), XFL, Smoky Mountain Wrestling (SMW), American Wrestling Association (AWA) and WWE movies would also make the lineup. Original programming was also noted in the survey.

WWE Network (Canada)

WWE Network is a Canadian English language specialty service programmed by WWE and distributed by Rogers Media.

History and distribution

The channel launched on August 12, 2014 using a dedicated channel within the existing Sportsnet PPV licence, similar to how Rogers initially distributed the Sportsnet World service. The channel is offered on a subscription basis on Rogers Cable and, according to Rogers, has been offered to all other cable, satellite, and IPTV service providers across Canada. Rogers has indicated that other providers have shown interest in carrying the channel, but that negotiations are ongoing and may "take some time".

Rogers also sponsored an application by WWE to the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) to add the WWE Network (U.S.) linear channel as a non-Canadian programming service authorized for distribution, which will ultimately replace the Rogers-operated PPV channel. This application was published on September 10, 2014, and was open for public comment until October 10.